THE   BUDGET    CLOSED 


BY 

JANE    ANTHONY    EAMES, 

AUTHOR  OF  "A  BUDGET  OP  LETTERS,"  "  ANOTHER  BUDGET,"  &C. 


BOSTON: 

TICKNOR    AND    FIELDS. 
MDCCCLX. 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1860,  by 
JAKE  A.  EAMES, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District.  Court  of  the  District  of  New 
Hampshire. 


PRINTED  BY  WM.  BUTTERFIELD, 
PATRIOT  OFFICE, 

CONCORD,  N.  H. 


TO    HON.    CARROLL    SPENCE, 

LATE    UNITED    STATES    MINISTER   TO   THE    SUBLIME    PORTE, 

THIS  VOLUME  IS,  BY  PERMISSION, 

DEDICATED, 

IX    GRATITUDE    FOR    NUMEROUS   ACTS    OF   KINDNESS   AND   ATTENTION, 

WHILE  IN  CONSTANTINOPLE  AND  ITS  ENVIRONS. 


PREFACE. 


I  do  not  know  as  it  is  necessary  for  me  to  apologize 
to  the  public  in  general,  and  my  own  friends  in  particu- 
lar, for  so  long  delaying  to  bring  before  them  THE 
BUDGET  CLOSED.  I  will,  therefore,  pass  over  in  silence 
the  reasons  I  might  give  for  this  delay,  and  will  merely 
say  that  those  who  followed  us  in  our  boat  life,  our 
journey  across  the  Desert,  and  our  sojourn  in  the  Holy 
Land,  will,  I  hope,  find  something  to  interest  them  in 
the  present  volume. 

CONCORD,  N.  H.,  Sept.,  1860. 


TABLE   OF  CONTENTS. 


LETTER  XLV. 

Departure  from  Smyrna. — Crowded  Steamboat. — Gallipoli. — Arrival  at 
Constantinople. — Geography  of  the  place. — Wooden  Houses. — Singu- 
lar looking  Carriages.  —  Streets  of  Pera. — Beautiful  View. — Large 
Cemetery, 1 

LETTEE  XLVI. 

Over  to  Constantinople. — Bridge. — Varied  Scene. — Thousand  and  one 
Columns. — Hippodrome. — Janizaries. — Burnt  Pillar.  — Bazaars.  —  Re- 
turn to  Pera. — Sunset  Scene, 9 

LETTER  XLVH. 

Queen's  Birthday. — Dogs. — Marvellous  Story.  —  Caiques. — Scutari. — 
Disappointment. — Tophana. — Review  of  English  Troops. — Araba. — 
Another  Carnage. — Chrysopolis. — Cemetery. — Lovely  Country. — Bul- 
ghurlhu. — Extensive  View. — Adventure. — Return  to  Pera, 20 

LETTER  XL VIII. 

Buyukdere. — Unquiet  Nights. — Ramazan. — Night  Scene. — Galata.— Walls 
of  the  City. — Seven  Towers. — Costumes. — Palace  of  the  Seraskier. — 
Extensive  View, 28 

LETTER  XLIX. 

The  Sultan. — Dervishes. — Valley  of  Sweet  Waters. — Attractive  Scene. — 
Cemetery. — Mosque  of  Eyoub, 35 


Vlll  CONTENTS. 

LETTER  L. 

The  Seraglio. — Sublime  Porte.  —  Church  of  St.  Irene. — Visit  to  the 
Mosques. — St.  Sophia. — Sultan  Achmet. — Sultan  Mahmoud. — Sultan 
Sulyman, 42 

LETTEE  LI. 

English  Church. — Beauties  of  the  Bosphorus. — Castles  of  Asia  and  Eu- 
rope.— Black  Sea. — The  Sultan. — American  Minister. — Life  at  Bnyuk- 
dere. — Sweet  Waters  of  Asia. — Letters  from  Home, 52 

LETTER  LII. 

Sir  Stephen  Lakeman. — Mr.  E.'s  departure  for  Schumla. — Kindness  of 
American  Minister. — Bebec. — American  Missionaries. — Annual  Meet- 
ing of  Bible  Society. — Large  Sycamores. — Fine  Ride. — Bendt. — Forest 
of  Belgrade. — Cottage  of  Lady  Montague. — Giant's  Mountain. — Le- 
gends.— Genoese  Castle. — Shopping  in  Pera. — Symplegades, .57 

LETTER  LIII. 

Daily  Routine. — Adventure.— Feast  of  the  Beiram. — Close  of  the  Ra- 
mazan. — Night  Scene  on  the  Bosphorus. — Mr.  Brown.  —  Scene  at 
Dawn. — Seraglio.— Kissing  the  Feet. — The  Sultan, 66 

LETTER  LIV. 

Garden  of  the  Russian  Embassy. — Sweet  Waters  of  Asia. — Return  from 
the  Wars.— Fourth  of  July. — Turkish  Bath, 79 

LETTER  LV. 

Departure  from  Buyukdere. — Austrian  Steamer. — Scene  on  Board. — 
Beautiful  Girl. — Dardanelles. — Mitylene. — Isles  of  Greece. — Smyrna. — 
Austrian  Officer. — Delos. — Syra. — Quarantine. — Discomfort. — Arrival 
at  Athens. — Palace. — Hotel  des  Etrangeres, 84 

LETTER  LVI. 

Situation  of  Athens. — Stadium. — Fountain  of  Callirrhoe. — Thyme. — Tem- 
ple of  Jupiter  Olympus. — Ruins  of  Greece. — Arch  of  Hadrian. — Monu- 
ment of  Lysicrates. — Acropolis. — Parthenon. — Temple  of  Victory 
without  wings. — The  Erectheum. — View  from  the  Acropolis. — Tomb 
of  Miller.— Garden  of  Plato.— Sunset, 97 


CONTENTS.  IX 

LETTER  LVII. 

English  Church — King  and  Queen  of  Greece. — Tower  of  the  Winds. — 
Agora. — Mars  Hill. — Pnyx. — Prison  of  Socrates.— Sliding  Stone. — Tem- 
ple of  Theseus. — Garden  of  the  Palace, 112 

LETTEE  LVIII. 

Prisoners. — Cholera  at  the  Piraeus. — Trip  to  Pentelicus. — Grand  view 
from  the  Summit. — Marathon. — Euboea. — Isles. — Mountains. — Sacred 
Way. — Daphne. — Bay  of  Eleusis. — Eleusis. — Remains  of  Temple  of 
Ceres. — Megara. — Lovely  Sunsets. — Queen  Amelia.— King  Otho.— State 
of  Greece. — Rev.  Mr.  Hill. — Episcopal  Mission. — Phalerum. — Sickness, 

120 
LETTER  LIX. 

Prospects  for  Departure. — Queen's  Farm. — Garden  of  the  Palace. — Greek 
Costume. — Lycabettus. — View  from  top  Acropolis. — Sunset. — Parthe- 
non by  Moonlight. — Farewell  to  Friends. — Cavia. — Maid  of  Athens,. . . 

131 
LETTER  LX. 

Departure  from  Athens. — Hindrances. — Arrival  at  Syra. — Trouble  about 
Lodgings. — Syra. — Evening  Promenades. — Tinos. — Miraculous  Shrine. 
— Exquisite  Views. — Old  Town. — Convent. — Church  of  St.  George. — 
Delicious  Evenings, , 140 

LETTER  LXI. 

Departure  from  Syra. — Incident. — Pleasant  voyage. — Piraeus. — Cerigo. — 
Modon. — Navarino. — Zante. — Ionian  Islands. — Cephalonia. — Ithaca. — 
St.  Maura. — Paxos. — Corfu. — Ruins  of  Pola. — Trieste, 147 

LETTER  LXII. 

Diligence. — Grotto  of  Adelsberg. — Laibach. — Railroad. — Beautiful  Coun- 
try.— Arrival  at  Vienna, 156 

LETTER  LXIII. 

Situation  of  Vienna. — Walls. — Glacis. — Suburbs. — St.  Stephen's  Church. 
— Companions  in  Sight-seeing. — Belvedere  Palace.— Lower  Belvedere. — 
Atnbras  Collection. — Church  of  the  Capuchins. — Hotel. — Imperial  Pal- 
ace.— State  Carriages. — Schonbrunn. — Dinner  in  the  open  air. — The 
Prater.— Gardens, 163 


X  CONTENTS. 

LETTER  LXIV. 

Copy  of  Last  Sapper. — Monument  of  Archduchess  Christina. — Imperial 
Library. — Cabinet  of  Minerals. — Arsenal. — Dance. — Imperial  Printing 
Office. — Polytechnic  Institution. — Public  Garden, 175 

LETTEE  LXV. 

Excursion  into  Hungary. — The  Danube. — Marchfield. — Presburg. — Cali- 
fornia of  Hungary. — Islands. — Komorn. — Magyars. — Gran. — Vissa- 
grad.— Pesth.— Buda, 182 

LETTEE  LXVI. 

Up  the  Danube. — Linz. — Fine  View. — Politeness. — Fertile  Country. — 
'Gmunden. — Traun-see. — Ischl. — The  Emperor,  Francis  Joseph. — Cos- 
•tumes. — Beautiful  Scenes. — Salt  Bath, 189 

LETTEE  LXVH. 

Departure  from  Ischl. — Open  carriage. — Mountainous  Country. — Wolf- 
gang-see.— Churches. — Cemeteries. — Beggars. —  Students. — Travelling 
Journeymen. — Salzburg. — Queen  of  Prussia. — Ex-Empress  of  Austria. 
— The  Square. — Birthplace  of  Mozart, 198 

LETTEE  LXVIII. 

Quiet  Sunday. — Visit  to  salt  mines. — Costume  for  the  mines. — Amusing 
appearance. — Mode  of  getting  the  salt. — Chambers. — Inclined  planes. 
— Wooden  Horse. — Miners. — Hollbrunn. — Promenades, 204 

LETTEE  LXIX. 

Leaving  Salzburg. — Grand  Scenery. — Cheap  Travelling. — Innsbruck. — 
Sight-seeing. — Cathedral.— Monument  to  Hofer. — Tomb  of  Maximil- 
ian I. — Ambras  Chateau, 213 

LETTEE  LXX. 

Mountainous  Scenes.  —  Achensee.  —  Kreuth.  —  Tegernsee.  —  Munich. — 
House  of  Lola  Montes. — St.  Michael's  Church.— Pinacotheque.— Crys- 
tal Palace.— Eoyal  Palace, 219 


CONTENTS.  XI 

LETTER  LXXI. 

Expense  of  Travel. — Romish  Churches. — Public  Garden. — Parks. — Mu- 
seum.— Royal  Library. — Ancient  Pinacothek. — Glyptothek. — Church 
of  St.  Boniface. — Bavarian  Hall  of  Fame. — Ludwig  Schwanthaler. — 
Statue  of  Bavaria. — English  Garden, 227 

LETTER  LXXII. 

Augsburg. — The  Three  Moors. — Augsburg  Confession. — Fuggerville. — 
Nuremberg. — The  Red  Steed. — Objects  of  Interest. — Caspar  Hauser. — 
Manufactures  and  Inventions.  Passport  Arrangements. — Crown  Prin- 
cess of  Saxony. — Leipsic. — University. — The  Battle  Ground. — Monu- 
ment of  Poniatowski. — Rosenthal, .236 

LETTER  LXXm. 

Dresden. — Hotel  Bellevue. — Currency. — Japanese  Palace. — Bridge  over 
the  Elbe. — Historical  Museum. — Table  d'hote. — Bruhl  Terrace. — Dog- 
carts.— Romish  Church. — English  Church, 242 

LETTER  LXXIV. 

Picture  Gallery. — Royal  Palace. — Green  Vaults. — Pleasant  Surprise. — 
Cabinet  of  Minerals. — Environs  of  Dresden. — Plauen. — Tharand. — 
New  Town, 247 

LETTER  LXXV. 

Departure  from  Dresden. — Tetzel's  Box. — Obelisk. — Hill  of  the  Cross.— 
Berlin. — British  Hotel. — Linden  Trees. — Street  of  Palaces. — Branden- 
burg Gate. — Park. — Monument  of  Frederick  the  Great. — Streets. — Ber- 
lin Iron. — Potsdam. — Royal  Palace. — Sans-souci.— Windmill. — New 
Palace. — Antique  Temple. — Charlottenkof. — Russian  Colony. — Burial 
Place  of  Frederick  the  Great. — Voltaire's  Residence, 253 

LETTER  LXXVI. 

Chamber  of  Art. — Picture  Gallery. — Sculpture  Gallery. — New  Museum. 
— Zoological  Collection. — Porcelain  Manufactory. — Pleasant  Meeting. 

•  262 

LETTER  LXXVII. 

Charlottenburg. — Louisa  of  Prussia. — The  late  King. — The  Spree. — 
English  Chapel. — Disappointment. — Cathedral. — Difference  between 
Protestant  and  Catholic  Countries, 268 


Xii  CONTENTS. 

LETTER  LXXVIII. 

Wittenberg. — Church. — Burial  place  of  Luther  and  Melancthon. — House 
of  Melancthon. — Statue  of  Luther. — University. — Oak  Tree. — Church 
where  Luther  preached. — Railway  Carriages. — Smoking. — Dessau. — 
Birthplace  of  Mendelssohn. — Halle. — Interesting  Day. — Historical  As- 
sociations.— Jena. — Weimar. — Erfurt. — Eisenach.  —  Castle  of  Wart- 
burg. — Reminiscences  of  Luther. — Exquisite  View. — Sebastian  Bach, 

272 
LETTER  LXXIX. 

Cassel. — Hessian  Troops. — Slow  Train. — Broom-sellers. — Frankfort-on- 
the-Maine. — Hotel  de  Russie. — Old  Town. — New  Town. — The  Jews. — 
Rothschilds'  House. — Suburbs. — Zeil. — Town  House. — Statue  of 
Goethe. — Museum. — Dannecker's  Ariadne. — Cemetery. — Mirrors  in 
Windows, 284 

LETTER  LXXX. 

Heidelberg.  —  University.  —  Church  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  —  St.  Peter's 
Church. — Jerome  of  Prague. — Olimpia  Morata. — Ruins  of  the  Old 
Castle.  —  Wolf-spring. — Mannheim. — The  Rhine. — Worms. — Wiesba- 
den.— Kursaal. — Taste  for  Flowers, 291 

LETTER  LXXXI. 

Quiet  Sunday. — Lutheran  Service. — English  Service. — Gardens. — Music. 
Platte. — Donkey  Riding. — Mineral  Bath. — Concert. — Kursaal. — Law 
against  Gambling, 297 

LETTER  LXXXII. 

The  Rhine. — Legends.  — Vintage.  —  Steinberg. — Johannisberg. —  Spark- 
ling Moselle. — Coblentz. — Ehrenbreitstein. — Royal  Family. — Stolzen- 
fels. — The  Lahn. — Monument.  —  The  Moselle. — The  Rhine. —  Seven 
Mountains.— Bonn. — Dinner.— Bill  of  Fare 300 

LETTER  LXXXIII. 

• 

Cologne.— Bad  Smell.— Eau  de  Cologne.— Church  of  Santa  Maria.— 
St.  Peter's  Church.— Rubens. — Marie  de  Medici.— Cathedral.— St.  Ur- 
sula.— Town  Hall. — Deutz, 308 


CONTENTS. 

LETTER  LXXXIV. 

Down  the  Khine. — Eain. — Arnhem. — Amsterdam. — Peculiar  Features  of 
Holland.  —  Windmills. — Amsterdam.  —  Quaintness.  — Canals. — Head- 
dress.— Museum. — Palace. — Pleasant  Meeting, 313 

LETTER  LXXXV. 

English  Church. — Orphan  House.  —  Ship  Canal. — Broek. — Excessive 
Cleanliness. — Toll. — Civility. — Streets  of  Amsterdam. — Incident,.  .317 

LETTER  LXXXVI. 

Haarlem. — Environs. — Village  of  the  Washerwomen. — Method  of  drain- 
ing the  Lake. — Nurseries. — Large  Organ. — State  House. — Leyden.* — 
The  Hague  .—Museum. — Gallery  of  Paintings. — Royal  Library. — 
Scheveningen. — Bosch, 321 

LETTER  LXXXVII. 

Ryswick. — Delft. — Schiedam. — Rotterdam. — Statue  of  Erasmus. — Church 
of  St.  Lawrence. — Organ. — Country  Houses. — Dort. — The  Schelde. — 
Arrival  in  Antwerp. — Loss  of  the  Arctic. — Decline  of  Antwerp. — The 
Cathedral.— The  Spire. — Chime  of  Bells. — Magnificent  View. — Interior 
of  the  Church. — Paintings  by  Rubens. — St.  Paul's  Church. — St.  Jacques' 
Church. — Docks. — Rubens. — Hotel  de  Ville. — Exchange. — Costumes. 

329 
LETTER  LXXXVIH. 

Ghent.— Church  of  St.  Bavon.— St.  Michael's  Church,,— The  Belfry.— 
Prison. — Incident. — Town  Hall. — Friday  Market. — Quaint  Houses. — 
Ruins. — Nunnery. — Bruges. — Hospital  of  St.  John. — Church  of  Notre 
Dame.— Cathedral.— Town  Hall.— Palace  of  Justice.— The  Halls.— 
Chime  of  Bells.— Belgian  Officers, 340 

LETTER  LXXXDL 

Rain. — Mechlin. — Vilvorde. — Arrival  at  Brussels. — Fish. — Place-Royal 
—Statue  of  Godfrey  of  Bouillon.— Arcade.— The  Park.— Rue  Royale. 
Gallery  of  Pictures. — The  Cathedral. — Funeral  Ceremony. — Lace  Man- 
ufactory.— The  Grande  Place. — Hotel  de  Ville.— Incident. — The  House 
of  the  King, 349 

LETTER  XC. 

Changeable  Weather. — Visit  to  Waterloo. — Sergeant  Munday. — Field  of 
Battle.— Brilliant  Display. — More  Rain. — Disappointment, 356 


XIV  CONTENTS. 

LETTER  XCI. 

At  Home  in  Paris. — Examination  of  Luggage. — Hotel  Bedford. — Famil- 
iar Sights  and  Sounds. — Cafe. — Champs  Elysees. — Madeleine. — Last 
Days  in  Paris, 360 

LETTER  XCII. 

Retrospect. — Leaving  Paris. — Crossing  the  Channel. — Dover. — Arrival  in 
London. — Occupations. — Novelty. — Review, 364 


LETTERS. 


LETTER    XLV. 

Departure  from  Smyrna. — Crowded  Steamboat. — Gallipoli. — Arrival  at 
Constantinople. — Geography  of  the  place. — Wooden  Houses. — Singu- 
lar looking  Carriages.  —  Streets  of  Pera. — Beautiful  View. — Large 
Cemetery. 

CONSTANTINOPLE,  May  22d. 
MY  DEAR  P. : 

I  am  sure  you  will  unite  with  us  in  gratitude  to  our 
Heavenly  Father,  for  bringing  us  safely  through  our 
journey  in  Asia,  and  landing  us  once  more  on  the  shore 
of  Europe.  And  as  I  say  to  myself,  "  we  are  again  in 
Euroj>e,"  it  seems  to  me  we  are  almost  at  home  ;  and 
though  months  must  elapse  before  we  can  see  your  dear 
faces  once  more,  our  steps  are  homeward  turned,  and 
that  of  itself  has  a  peculiar  charm. 

We  arrived  here  early  on  Monday  morning,  and  hav- 
ing secured  good  accommodations  (a  difficult  thing  just 
now,  when  there  are  so  many  foreigners  here,)  at  the 
"  Hotel  de  Byzance,"  we  at  once  commenced  the  duties 
of  sight-seeing,  which  are  doubly  fatiguing  here,  from 
the  heat  of  the  weather  and  the  wretched  pavement  of 
the  streets. 

I  am  sorry  that  I  can  give  you  no  information  con- 
cerning the  voyage  from  Smyrna  here,  for  I  really  know 


2  LETTERS. 

nothing  of  what  there  could  have  been  seen  outside  the 
steamer.  We  left  on  Saturday  afternoon,  and,  as  I 
wrote  you,  the  steamer  was  crowded  with  soldiers,  which 
effectually  prevented  my  going  on  deck,  till  after  they 
had  disembarked,  on  Sunday,  at  Gallipoli,  and  then  the 
decks  were  so  dreadfully  dirty,  I  could  not  stay  there 
with  any  degree  of  comfort.  You  can  imagine  some- 
what the  state  of  the  upper  deck,  when  I  tell  you  six 
hundred  soldiers  had  been  quartered  there  for  nine  days, 
two  or  three  of  which  had  been  very  stormy,  and  there 
being  two  pipes  to  the  steamer,  a  vast  amount  of  cinders 
had  collected  on  the  deck,  which  there  seemed  to  be  no 
disposition  to  clean  off,  even  after  the  troops  had  disem- 
barked. I  felt  so  very  anxious,  however,  to  see  some- 
what of  the  country,  that  I  attempted  two  or  three  times 
to  go  on  deck ;  and  by  standing  on  a  camp-stool,  and 
stretching  out  my  neck,  I  made  out  to  see  a  bit  of  blue 
sea  and  a  hill,  but  except  that,  I  literally  saw  nothing 
save  soldiers  and  dirt.  However,  on  our  way  to  Athens, 
I  believe  the  steamer  will  touch  at  Smyrna,  when  I  shall 
hope  to  make  amends  for  seeing  nothing  on  my  first 
voyage  from  there,  for  I  am  sure  it  must  have  been 
full  of  interest,  coming,  as  we  did,  from  the  Gulf  of 
Smyrna  into  the  Archipelago,  studded  with  islands,  dear 
with  their  classical  associations,  and  then  entering  the 
narrow  Straits  of  Dardanelles,  which  connect  the  Archi- 
pelago with  the  Sea  of  Marmora. 

At  Gallipoli  we  stopped  several  hours,  but  I  did  not 
go  on  shore,  as  I  could  see  the  town  from  the  steamer, 
and  the  encampment  was  too  far  from  the  harbor  to 
walk  there  with  comfort.  I  saw  the  hills  that  rise  up 
back  of  Gallipoli,  and  at  their  feet  the  town,  a  mass  of 
stone  houses,  interspersed  with  a  few  trees,  and  at  a 


LETTERS.  3 

distance,  the  white  tents  of  the  troops,  scattered  along 
the  valley  and  on  the  hillsides. 

The  cabin  of  the  steamer  was  very  comfortable,  though 
we  could  not  get  a  state-room  together ;  in  fact,  the  first 
night,  Mr.  E.  slept  on  a  narrow  sofa,  and  the  last,  had 
a  berth  in  a  small  cabin,  with  three  other  gentlemen. 
I  was  in  the  ladies'  cabin,  a  small  room,  with  five  French 
ladies,  who  chattered  like  a  parcel  of  magpies.  The 
table  was  good,  and  we  had  every  thing  to  satisfy  our 
wants,  as  long  as  those  wants  were  confined  to  the  cabin, 
and  as  we  did  not  have  to  pay  any  thing  additional,  we 
passed  over  the  discomforts  of  the  troops  and  the  dirt 
as  well  as  we  could.  As  I  wrote  you  from  Beyroot,  six 
francs  extra  a  day  are  charged  each  passenger  for  board, 
but  as  Mr.  E.  had  no  bed  the  first  night,  the  steward 
would  not  take  the  twenty-four  francs  due  for  our  board. 
Liberal  for  him,  and  exceedingly  gratifying  to  us. 

As  early  this  morning  as  I  possibly  could  get  ready 
in  a  small  cabin  with  five  other  ladies,  I  dressed  myself 
and  went  on  deck,  not  a  whit  cleaner  than  it  was  the 
day  before.  But  I  thought  not  of  the  dirt,  when  I 
saw  the  view  from  the  steamer,  for  Constantinople, 
"the  magnificent,"  was  before  us.  How  queenly  she 
looked,  seated  on  her  seven  hills,  her  stupendous  domes, 
and  towering  minarets,  and  slender  cypresses  seeming 
to  pierce  the  sky !  Was  there  ever  a  lovelier  sight  ? 
Walls  and  towers,  and  palaces  and  mosques  and  gar- 
dens, passed  all  too  quickly,  and  one  exclamation  of 
admiration  had  scarcely  died  away,  when  another  broke 
forth.  The  Marmora  stretched  behind  us,  sparkling 
and  blue,  and  before  us,  it  narrowed  off  till  it  was  fairly 
merged  in  the  Straits  of  the  Bosphorus,  which  connect 
it  with  the  Black  Sea.  I  was  so  absorbed  in  looking  at 


4  LETTERS. 

the  city,  I  scarcely  saw  the  rock-girt  isles  in  the  Mar- 
mora, nor  the  Asiatic  shore  beyond. 

At  last  the  anchor  was  dropped,  and  we  were  sur- 
rounded by  a  crowd  of  boats  and  long,  slender  caiques, 
and  after  not  a  little  confusion  and  jabbering  in  un- 
known tongues,  ourselves  and  our  luggage  were  safely 
deposited  in  a  large  boat,  and  we  were  rapidly  rowed  to 
the  shore,  and  after  an  interval  of  more  than  seven 
months,  found  ourselves  again  in  Europe. 

And  now,  before  I  go  farther,  I  will  take  the  geogra- 
pher's vocation,  and  describe  more  particularly  the  sit- 
uation of  Constantinople,  for  fear  you  may  not  have  a 
good  map  on  hand,  and  in  order  that  you  may  form  a 
clear  conception  of  its  numerous  spots  of  interest,  and 
its  different  localities. 

On  the  south,  Constantinople  lies  on  the  Sea  of  Mar- 
mora, while  on  the  opposite  side  sweeps  down  the  coast 
of  Asia,  backed,  at  a  distance,  by  the  lofty  range  of 
Taurus,  whose  summits  glitter  with  snow.  On  the  west, 
it  lies  on  the  Bosphorus ,  having  opposite  to  it,  on  the 
Asiatic  side,  the  town  of  Scutari  in  the  foreground,  its 
immense  cemetery  containing  a  forest  of  dark  cypresses, 
and  its  stupendous  barracks,  and  the  background  formed 
by  rolling  hills,  studded  with  palaces  and  gardens. 

Rounding  the  point  on  which  Constantinople  projects 
into  the  Bosphorus,  an  arm  of  the  straits  makes  up, 
termed  the  "  Golden  Horn,"  and  on  the  opposite  side  of 
this,  and  extending  round  to  the  Bosphorus,  lie  the 
suburbs  of  Constantinople,  Galata,  Pera  and  Tophana. 
These  suburbs  are  mostly  inhabited  by  what  is  termed 
the  Christian  population,  a  mixture  of  every  nation,  and 
almost  of  every  religion,  under  the  sun.  Here  the  am- 
bassadors from  foreign  courts  reside ;  here  the  wealthy 


LETTERS.  5 

merchants  and  bankers  transact  their  business,  and  a 
thousand  petty  traders  and  craftsmen  attend  to  their 
various  vocations.  Constantinople,  or  as  it  is  termed 
by  the  natives,  Stamboul,  is  connected  with  its  suburbs 
by  three  bridges  thrown  across  the  Golden  Horn,  and 
these,  with  their  crowd  of  motley  passengers,  and  the 
thousand  little  caiques  darting  hither  and  thither,  pre- 
sent at  all  times  an  animating  and  ever  varying  sight. 

Having  now  stirred  up  your  memories  in  relation  to 
the  geographical  position  of  Constantinople,  in  which 
general  name  I  include  Pera,  Galata  and  Tophana, 
though  here  they  are  spoken  of  as  quite  distinct,  I  come 
back  once  more  to  the  period  of  our  arrival.  Our  keys 
were  demanded,  and  our  luggage  slightly  examined, 
nothing  undergoing  any  scrutiny,  except  my  worsted 
work.  Our  luggage,  and  that  of  the  party  with  us,  was 
strapped  on  the  backs  of  porters,  who,  bending  almost 
double  under  their  load,  staggered  up  the  hill.  And 
what  a  hill  it  was !  Steep  and  crooked,  and  withal 
paved  with  such  stones,  that  I  defy  any  one  to  walk  on 
them  with  any  thing  like  grace  or  ease. 

We  were  in  a  new  world,  for  we  saw,  what  we  have 
not  seen  since  we  left  home,  wooden  houses,  but  not 
such  houses  as  we  should  see  in  the  United  States ;  for 
they  all  have  more  or  less  an  oriental  look,  some  being 
of  fantastic  architecture,  and  almost  all  having  little 
balconies  and  narrow  latticed  windows,  and  large  clumsy 
doors,  with  ungainly  knockers.  Then  we  met  Turk- 
ish women,  in  their  cloaks  or  mantles  of  various  colors, 
and  their  faces  concealed  by  their  "  yashmacks,"  formed 
by  two  pieces  of  muslin,  the  one  covering  the  head,  and 
reaching  down  to  the  eyebrows,  the  other  being  bound 
tight  across  the  lower  part  of  the  face,  covering  even 


6  LETTERS. 

the  nose  and  mouth,  so  that  it  is  a  mystery  to  me  how 
they  breathe.  Their  feet,  often  without  stockings,  are 
encased  in  overgrown  boots  of  yellow  morocco,  thrust 
into  slippers  of  the  same  color,  without  heel-pieces,  so 
that  there  is  nothing  but  the  toe  to  keep  the  foot  in  its 
place,  and  the  consequence  is,  they  shuffle  along  when 
they  walk,  with  the  most  awkward,  ungainly  gait  imag- 
inable. Their  cloaks  or  mantles,  or  whatever  they  are 
called,  are  entirely  different  in  their  shape  from  any 
thing  we  have  seen  before  ;  they  are  not  very  full,  but 
have  a  long  square  cape  hanging  down  behind,  and  as 
they  wrap  themselves  closely  in  them,  probably  to  keep 
from  showing  the  dress  beneath,  they  do  not  present  the 
most  elegant  figures  in  the  world.  They  seem  to  affect 
gay  colors ;  for  some  of  the  cloaks  (I  declare  I  don't  know 
what  else  to  call  them)  are  red  and  green,  and  pink  and 
yellow,  and  as  they  are  all  bound  with  black,  they  really 
look  quite  fantastic.  But  as  many  of  the  faces  are  very 
pale,  and  unearthly  looking,  with  their  covering  of  thin 
white  muslin,  bound  in  such  a  manner  around  them, 
I  am  sure  if  they  would  shut  their  eyes,  they  would 
look  like  corpses  prepared  for  burial. 

Another  strange  thing  we  saw  too — carriages  in  some 
of  the  streets ;  but  although  I  have  seen  them  more  than 
once,  I  despair,  as  yet,  of  giving  you  a  correct  descrip- 
tion of  them,  so  utterly  unlike  are  they  to  any  thing  of 
the  vehicle  kind  ever  before  seen.  At  first  sight,  I  should 
say  they  were  antique  specimens,  as  they  look  somewhat 
like  that  old  carriage  that  was  paraded  through  our 
streets  on  July  4th,  1853,  which  doubtless  you  all  re- 
member, as  it  excited  much  attention  at  the  time  ;  but 
when  I  saw  the  elaborate  carving  and  gilding  which 


LETTERS.  7 

adorned  them,  I  concluded  they  must  be  of  more  modern 
date. 

At  last,  after  much  toil,  and  turning  many  corners, 
and  walking  through  an  abundance  of  narrow  streets, 
some  of  them  not  over  and  above  fragrant,  we  arrived 
at  that  part  of  Pera  where  our  hotel  is  situated,  and 
after  a  little  brushing  up  and  prinking,  we  were  once 
more  in  the  street,  on  our  way  to  see  the  "  lions."  Mr. 
F.  hearing  of  our  arrival,  came  at  once  to  see  us,  and  he, 
with  two  other  Americans  and  an  English  gentleman 
whom  we  met  on  the  steamer,  joined  with  us  in  forming 
a  party,  and  engaging  a  guide  to  go  around  with  us.  The 
guide  is  a  Greek,  and  as  he  speaks  French  and  Italian 
very  well,  and  English  in  a  perfectly  incomprehensible 
manner,  he  generally  speaks  to  us  in  French. 

As  it  was  late  in  the  morning  before  we  went  out,  we 
confined  ourselves  to  Pera  and  its  immediate  environs, 
and  found  a  good  many  things  in  our  long  walk  to 
interest  us,  though  I  do  not  know  as  the  recital  of  them 
will  prove  as  interesting  to  you.  We  walked  through 
the  principal  street  of  Pera,  which  looks  more  like  a 
street  in  an  European  than  in  an  Eastern  town ;  for  on 
both  sides  we  saw  shops  displaying  European  goods  in 
such  a  variety  that  I,  long  deprived  of  seeing  any  thing 
of  "  the  fashions,"  had  to  stop  a  great  many  times  to 
stare  at  bonnets,  and  muslins,  and  laces,  and  ribbons, 
and  materials  for  dresses,  and  at  ladies  and  gentlemen 
in  European  costume. 

We  walked  on  and  on,  till  we  passed  the  houses  and 
shops,  and  came  to  large  barracks  and  a  parade  ground, 
and  beyond,  on  a  hill,  stopped  at  a  cafe",  from  the 
garden  of  which  we  had  a  magnificent  view  of  the  Bos- 
phorus.  We  were  tired  and  warm,  and  as  we  could 


8  LETTERS. 

not  get  any  ices,  we  thought  we  would  try  some  of  the 
far-famed  Turkish  sherbets.  We  were  asked  what  kind 
we  would  take,  as  they  had  different  syrups  from  which 
the  drink  was  made.  I  chose  cherry,  for  I  fancied  that 
would  be  particularly  nice  ;  but  it  was  well  I  was  told 
it  was  cherry,  for  otherwise  I  should  never  have  been 
able  to  form  even  a  conjecture  of  what  I  was  drinking. 

But  no  description  can  do  justice  to  the  view  from  this 
height ;  and  although  in  my  different  travels  I  have  seen 
many  fine  views,  I  don't  know  when  one  has  pleased 
me  more  than  this.  Below  us  lay  palaces  and  mosques, 
and  villages  with  their  oriental  looking  houses  ;  beyond, 
was  the  blue  Bosphorus,  with  ships  from  all  nations 
lying  there,  and  hundreds  of  little  caiques  darting  hither 
and  thither,  while  on  the  Asiatic  side  were  other  palaces 
and  mosques  and  villages,  and  behind  them,  hills  dotted 
with  sunny  fields,  and  beautiful  gardens,  and  handsome 
little  summer  houses  and  chateaus.  A  little  way  beyond 
us,  on  the  shore  of  the  Bosphorus,  we  saw  the  new 
palace  of  the  Sultan,  an  immense  edifice  of  white  stone, 
not  yet  completed.  Around  us  were  large  palaces,  used 
for  different  purposes,  some  for  barracks,  some  for  col- 
leges, and  others  for  hospitals. 

But  perhaps  as  striking  a  feature  as  any,  was  the  ex- 
tensive cemetery  on  our  right,  where  the  thick  grove  of 
cypress  trees  made  an  almost  impervious  shade.  I  can- 
not say  that  these  Turkish  cemeteries  throw  me  into 
such  ecstasies  of  delight  as  some  travellers  have  indulged 
in,  for,  with  the  exception  of  the  tall,  dark  cypress,  there 
is  nothing  beautiful  about  them.  They  all  look  sadly 
neglected,  and  the  white  head-stones,  surmounted  by 
the  gilded  turban  or  the  red  tarboosh,  and  adorned  with 


LETTERS.  9 

Turkish  inscriptions,  are  often  leaning  on  one  side,  and 
many  of  them  are  entirely  prostrate. 

For  my  first  letter  from  Constantinople,  written  at 
intervals  hastily  snatched  amid  the  confusion  incidental 
on  arriving  at  a  strange  place,  I  flatter  myself  I  have 
done  pretty  well,  in  quantity,  at  least,  if  not  in  quality. 
I  dated  this  letter  "  Constantinople"  purposely,  although 
we  are  in  Pera ;  and  I  suppose  I  have  no  more  real 
right  to  date  Constantinople  than  I  should  have  to  com- 
mence a  letter  "  New  York,"  when  I  was  in  fact  in 
Brooklyn.  But  I  thought  if  I  commenced  this  "  Pera," 
you  might  not  at  first  sight  imagine  where  we  were,  so 
I  used  the  more  familiar  name  of  Constantinople. 

And  now  good  bye. 


LETTER    XLVI. 

Over  to  Constantinople. — Bridge. — Varied  Scene. — Thousand  and  one 
Columns. — Hippodrome. — Janizaries. — Burnt  Pillar.  — Bazaars. — Re- 
turn to  Pera. — Sunset  Scene. 

PERA,  May  23d. 
MY  DEAR  F. : 

Another  day  of  sight-seeing  in  this  land  so  full  of 
fascinating  wonders.  To-day  we  went  over  to  Constan- 
tinople, and  as  we  were  gone  more  than  six  hours,  during 
which  time  we  scarcely  sat  down,  you  may  be  sure  we 
came  home  well  tired.  There  are  three  ways  of  going 
through  the  streets  here,  on  foot,  in  a  carriage,  or  on 
horseback.  In  a  carriage,  over  such  wretched  pave- 
ments, through  crowded  streets,  you  can  readily  imagine 
our  progress  would  be  neither  easy  nor  rapid ;  and  I 
should  be  still  more  unwilling  to  take  a  horse,  as  really 


10  LETTERS. 

I  cannot  see  how  one  could  get  safely  over  such  stones  ; 
so  our  only  alternative  is  to  walk,  though  walking  on 
these  round  stones  is  attended  with  its  inconveniences. 
Going  through  a  part  of  Pera,  we  came  to  a  gateway, 
which  separates  Pera  from  Jjralata,  and  then  we  went 
down  the  narrow,  steep  streets  of  the  latter,  by  offices 
and  warehouses,  and  fish  and  vegetable  markets,  jostling 
against  crowds  of  people,  representing  all  nations,  as  I 
judged  from  their  costumes,  till  we  came  to  the  first 
bridge  over  the  Golden  Horn.  This  is  a  bridge  of  boats, 
with  two  draws,  through  which  vessels  pass  going  up 
the  Horn.  More  than  once,  in  crossing  this  bridge, 
which  is  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  length,  we  stopped 
to  gaze  at  the  different  objects  around.  Before  us  rose 
the  city,  swelling  up  gradually,  its  palaces  and  mosques 
and  countless  roofs  varied  with  trees  of  every  shade  of 
green ;  behind  us,  the  motley  houses  of  Pera  and  Ga- 
lata  crowned  the  heights ;  on  our  right,  wound  the 
Golden  Horn,  and  on  our  left,  where  it  opened  into  the 
Bosphorus,  were,  innumerable  ships  and  steamers,  and 
hundreds  of  caiques,  flitting  like  birds  across  the  water. 
On  the  bridge,  the  gay  horseman  dashed  by  us,  and  the 
gilded  carriage,  filled  with  Turkish  women  peeping  out 
from  their  "  yashmacks,"  rumbled  along,  the  beggar, 
lame,  blind,  deformed,  followed  us  or  sat  beneath  the 
railing,  the  vender  of  cold  water,  or  sherbet,  or  cakes, 
or  a  very  watery  looking  ice  cream,  screamed  after  us, 
and  the  crowd  jostled  against  us  ;  the  Turk,  the  Arme- 
nian, the  Greek,  the  Italian,  the  Frenchman,  the  English 
officer  in  his  bright  uniform,  the  Scotch  soldier  with  his 
bare  legs,  the  American  tar,  rolling  his  quid  from  side 
to  side,  the  Jew,  all  were  there,  each  in  his  own  distin- 
guishing costume,  and  each  speaking  his  own  language. 


LETTERS.  11 

What  a  fantastic  medley  of  colors,  and  what  a  Babel 
of  sounds ! 

High  above  the  buildings  of  Stamboul,  rose  the  gilded 
dome  and  graceful  minarets  of  St.  Sophia,  and  farther 
on,  the  equally  beautiful  dome  and  six  minarets  of  the 
mosque  of  Sultan  Achmet ;  but  as  we  are  intending  to 
make  a  visit  to  these  mosques,  on  Saturday,  I  shall 
reserve  a  farther  account  of  them  till  that  time. 

After  we  got  through  the  fish  and  meat  and  vegetable 
bazaars,  we  found  the  streets  both  wider  and  cleaner 
than  we  expected  to  see  them,  but  they  seemed  appa- 
rently deserted,  for  we  met  but  very  few  in  them.  The 
houses  were  all  of  wood,  many  of  them  painted  with 
gay  colors,  none  but  Turks  being  allowed  to  paint  their 
houses  a  cheerful  color ;  but  their  closely  latticed  win- 
dows give  them  a  prison-like  look. 

Our  first  object  was  to  find  the  cistern  of  the  "  thou- 
sand and  one"  columns,  and  after  a  long  walk  through 
all  kinds  of  streets,  we  came  to  a  little  hut,  where  our 
guide  had  quite  a  squabble  with  a  man,  the  most  promi- 
nent word  being  "  buksheesh"  ;  so  you  see  we  hear  that 
familiar  sound  even  in  Europe.  We  went  down  a  flight 
of  tottering  wooden  stairs,  till  we  reached  the  bottom, 
and  then  we  found  ourselves  in  an  immense  vault,  the 
roof  of  which  was  supported  by  tall,  slender  pillars,  with 
richly  carved  capitals.  This  cistern  was  once  filled  with 
water,  brought  by  an  aqueduct  from  the  mountains,  but 
it  is  now  quite  dry,  and  is  used  by  a  company  of  silk- 
reelers,  who  flitted  around  in  the  dim  light  like  beings 
of  another  world.  I  did  not  attempt  to  count  the  pillars, 
but  I  am  told  that  instead  of  being  a  "  thousand  and 
one,"  there  are  not  three  hundred.  There  is  still  an- 
other at  a  little  distance,  which  is  said  to  have  a  larger 


12  LETTERS. 

number  of  columns,  but  the  entrance  to  it  is  through  a 
house,  to  which,  by  some  informality  or  other,  we  failed 
to  get  access.  The  one  we  visited  is  said  to  be  of  size 
sufficient,  if  in  good  repair,  to  hold  water  to  supply  the 
whole  Turkish  capital  for  sixty  days. 

Our  next  walk  was  to  the  Hippodrome,  the  great 
public  square  of  the  ancient  Byzantium,  where  once  un- 
der triumphal  arches  triumphant  processions  marched, 
where  games  and  sports  were  celebrated  in  the  presence 
of  the  emperors  themselves,  and  around  which,  in  the 
days  of  former  glory,  were  arranged  seats  of  marble 
capable  of  accommodating  hundreds  of  thousands.  Be- 
hind these  seats  were  porticoes,  adorned  with  master- 
pieces of  art,  brought  from  all  the  cities  of  the  empire, 
to  adorn  this  public  square  of  the  capital.  Alas !  for 
human  greatness,  these  have  all  disappeared ;  the 
statues  and  many  of  the  pillars  have  been  demolished 
or  carried  away  by  the  conquerers,  and  vast  numbers  of 
the  columns  have  been  taken  by  the  Mohammedans  to 
adorn  their  mosques.  Only  three  monuments  remain 
as  proofs  of  former  greatness ;  one  is  an  Egyptian 
obelisk,  between  fifty  and  sixty  feet  high,  covered  with 
hieroglyphics,  which  looked  to  us  like  old  familiar 
friends.  The  next  is  called  by  some  the  most  venerable 
relic  of  the  ancient  pagan  world.  It  is  a  brass  column, 
formed  by  the  bodies  of  three  serpents  twisted  together, 
tapering  off  towards  the  neck,  where  the  three  heads, 
with  open  mouths,  branched  off,  and  supported  a  golden 
tripod,  on  which  the  priestess  of  Delphi  sat  when  she 
uttered  the  oracles  which  told  the  fate  of  empires  and 
nations ;  but  the  tripod  and  the  heads  are  gone,  like 
many  other  things  of  old  Byzantium.  The  third  is  a 
column  of  hewn  stone,  formerly  covered  with  brass 


LETTERS.  13 

plates,  which  have  been  stripped  off  by  the  Turks,  and 
the  column  left  naked  and  broken,  and  almost  ready  to 
fall.  The  area  of  the  Hippodrome  is  about  one  thou- 
sand feet  by  four  hundred,  and  it  is  now  surrounded  by 
common  looking  houses,  except  on  one  side,  where 
stands  the  mosque  of  Sultan  Achmet. 

Near  here  once  stood  the  barracks  of  the  powerful 
Janizaries,  and  from  close  beside  the  mosque  the  cannon 
were  levelled  upon  them,  as  they  rushed  out  from  the 
conflagration.  The  Janizaries  were  a  military  corps, 
composed  at  first  of  Greek  captives,  who  were  com- 
pelled to  adopt  the  Moslem  faith,  and  were  afterwards 
blessed  by  a  Dervish,  who  gave  them  the  title  of  "  Yeni 
Seri,"  (new  soldiers,)  which  has  since  been  corrupted 
into  Janizary.  Like  the  Mamelukes  of  Egypt,  they 
became  so  powerful  a  body,  their  monarch  decided  to 
destroy  them,  and  after  they  had  become  the  terror  and 
the  scourge  of  Turkey,  they  were  murdered  in  cold 
blood,  by  the  orders  of  the  late  Sultan  Malmioud. 

Still  passing  on,  where  the  upper  story  of  the  houses 
projects  far  over  the  narrow,  crooked  streets,  and  the 
latticed  windows  allow  the  inmates  to  see  what  is  going 
on  below  them,  without  risk  of  being  seen  themselves, 
we  came  to  a  mosque  of  white  marble,  with  barred 
windows  facing  the  street,  and  on  the  sill  of  the  win- 
dow were  bright  metal  cups,  filled  with  clear  cold  water, 
one  of  which  I  eagerly  drained.  The  cup  was  instantly 
drawn  inside  by  an  invisible  hand,  filled  and  put  back 
in  its  place,  without  a  word  being  spoken,  not  even  that 
so  common  every  where,  "  buksheesh."  By  endowment, 
a  fountain  is  constantly  kept  in  order  at  this  mosque, 
and  a  man  stationed  there,  whose  business  it  is  to  keep 
the  cups  filled,  ready  for  any  thirsty  traveller,  be  he 


14  LETTERS. 

pacha  or  slave,  Turk  or  Christian.  I  need  not  say  how 
wise  a  provision  this  is,  and  how  acceptable  it  often 
proves  to  a  stranger,  who  otherwise  might  suffer  for  "  a 
cup  of  cold  water." 

In  other  places  in  the  city  there  are  fountains  and  a 
cup  always  attached  by  a  chain,  and  the  water  of  these 
fountains  is  clear  and  cold,  which,  in  these  hot  climates, 
is  a  great  luxury,  and  you  may  be  sure  one  of  my  thirsty 
propensities  does  not  often  pass  by  without  stopping  to 
drink.  As  we  were  walking  on,  we  were  struck  by  a 
singular  looking  pillar,  rising  above  the  roofs  of  the 
houses  beyond  us.  It  is  called  the  "burnt  pillar," 
from  the  fact  that  it  has  been  repeatedly  scathed  and 
cracked,  by  the  frequent  conflagrations  that  have  swept 
over  it.  It  is  bound  around  by  copper  hoops,  and  is  so 
blackened  by  smoke  as  to  render  it  difficult  to  ascertain 
of  what  material  it  is  composed,  or  to  read  the  inscrip- 
tions upon  it.  It  is  said  to  have  been  brought  from  the 
temple  of  Apollo  at  Rome,  and  to  have  been  surmount- 
ed by  a  statue.  The  shaft  is  ninety  feet  in  height,  and 
the  pedestal  measures  thirty  feet  at  its  base,  and  is  said 
to  enclose  several  pieces  of  the  true  cross. 

Still  on  and  on  we  went,  not  feeling  so  much  fatigued 
as  we  otherwise  would  have  done,  had  we  been  less 
interested  in  all  we  saw  ;  for  after  all,  that  is  the  greatest 
preventive  against  fatigue,  At  last  we  reached  the 
bazaars,  and  here,  you  may  be  sure,  I  was  on  the  alert. 
These  bazaars  form  a  labyrinth  of  avenues,  of  more  or 
less  size  and  richness,  and  are  all  covered,  many  of 
them  having  lofty  arched  ceilings,  the  roofs  being  a 
succession  of  small  domes,  through  which  the  light  is 
admitted.  I  have,  at  different  times,  dwelt  so  much 
upon  bazaars,  that  perhaps  you  will  think  a  repetition 


LETTERS.  15 

of  the  subject  somewhat  of  a  bore ;  but  I  should  do 
violence  to  my  feminine  propensity  of  admiring  fine 
things  and  picturesque  sights,  to  pass  by  the  bazaars  of 
Constantinople,  without  bestowing  upon  them  more 
than  a  few  ordinary  remarks. 

As  in  other  cities  of  the  East,  each  kind  of  goods  has 
its  own  particular  compartment,  or,  more  properly  speak- 
ing, is  a  bazaar  by  itself ;  and  if  I  should  attempt  to  tell 
you  half  I  saw,  it  would  be  like  an  enumeration  of  the 
different  articles  mentioned  in  a  catalogue,  so  I  shall 
merely  dwell  upon  those  that  mostly  attracted  my  at- 
tention. 

What  makes  the  bazaars  of  Constantinople  more  bril- 
liant than  those  in  any  other  city,  is  that  they  are  larger, 
and  their  goods  are  displayed  in  a  more  artistic  manner. 
True,  silks  and  embroidered  muslins,  and  delicate 
goods,  that  would  be  injured  by  too  constant  exposure, 
are  generally  kept  out  of  sight,  folded  up  neatly  in  paper, 
and  laid  upon  a  shelf;  but  often  when  the  shop-keeper 
(particularly  if  he  is  a  lively  Greek  or  Armenian)  sees  a 
foreigner  approaching,  he  dexterously  unfolds  some 
beautiful  fabric,  and  temptingly  holds  it  up  to  view. 
Nor  is  he  satisfied  by  merely  holding  it  up  in  full  sight, 
but  he  calls  out  to  the  passer  by,  "  Capitain,"  (for  he 
thinks  every  man  who  looks  like  an  Englishman  must 
be  an  officer,)  "  Madama,"  "  Signora,"  which  he  flat- 
ters himself  is  very  good  English.  If  he  can,  you  may 
be  sure  he  adds  a  few  words  in  French  or  Italian,  which 
often  exhausts  all  the  stores  of  foreign  languages  he 
possesses.  But  the  Turk  disdains  to  call  to  his  aid  any 
factitious  circumstances  to  help  his  trade.  He  sits 
cross-legged  on  the  counter  front  of  his  goods,  and  even 
though  you  stop  and  point  at  something  which  attracts 


16  LETTERS. 

your  attention,  it  is  ten  chances  to  one  if  he  offers  to 
take  it  down,  unless  he  is  decidedly  requested  so  to  do. 

In  the  gold  and  silver  bazaar,  though  I  saw  many 
curious  and  antique  things,  there  was  nothing  which, 
for  richness  or  skill  in  workmanship,  could  compare 
with  what  you  would  see  at  home,  in  the  establishments 
of  some  of  our  workers  in  the  precious  metals ;  and  in 
those  bazaars  where  European  goods  were  exposed,  of 
course  there  was  not  half  the  variety  or  splendor  as 
could  be  found  in  a  large  "  dry  goods"  store  in  our  own 
city ;  therefore,  I  did  not  stop  to  look  at  them,  but  con- 
fined my  attention  exclusively  to  such  things  as  might 
decidedly  be  called  oriental.  And  here,  I  assure  you, 
there  is  enough  to  feed  the  most  vivid  imagination. 
Come,  for  instance,  to  the  shoe  bazaar.  Look  down 
that  avenue,  bordered  on  both  sides  with  open  shops, 
the  shelves  of  which  display  slippers  of  every  hue,  em- 
broidered in  the  most  beautiful  manner,  with  gold  and 
silver,  and  many  of  them  with  pearls,  on  real  cache- 
mere.  Here  you  may  find  slippers  of  every  price,  from 
ten  piastres  to  one  thousand.  Could  I  pass  by  so  tempt- 
ing an  array,  Avithout  stopping  often  to  look,  and  occa- 
sionally to  buy  ? 

In  the  silk  bazaar,  we  saw  the  far  famed  Broussa 
silks ;  and  though  there  is  not  a  great  variety  in  the 
patterns,  yet  the  material  is  good,  and  what  will  interest 
some  purchasers,  it  is  said  they  "will  wear  forever." 
I  tried  to  make  a  bargain  for  a  dress ;  for  you  must 
know  it  is  customary  here  to  name  one  price,  and  take 
another ;  but  either  the  Greek  merchant  was  too  shrewd 
for  me,  or  I  did  not  set  a  sufficiently  high  price  on  his 
goods,  so  I  came  away,  hoping  he  would  call  me  back, 


LETTERS.  17 

but  he  didn't,  and  I  suppose  I  must  come  to  his  terms, 
and  return  for  the  dress  some  time. 

In  embroideries,  I  saw  shawls  and  scarfs  of  muslin, 
splendidly  wrought  in  gold  and  silver  threads  and  silks 
of  different  colors ;  small  table  cloths  of  crimson  and 
purple  velvet,  actually  covered  with  gold  and  silver 
embroidery  ;  veils  and  handkerchiefs  of  gauze,  spotted 
with  gold ;  pocket  handkerchiefs  of  muslin,  with  bor- 
ders of  divers  colors ;  bags  and  tobacco  pouches  of 
cachemere,  prettily  wrought  with  gold  ;  in  short,  I  don't 
think  I  could  enumerate  half  the  beautiful  things  which?, 
kept  my  eyes  constantly  dilated.  If  I  had  shut  my  eyes,, 
another  sense  would  have  told  me  what  bazaar  I  was 
next  approaching,  for  the  air  was  loaded  with  fra- 
grance. Who  that  has  been  to  Constantinople,  has  not 
heard  of  Mustapha,  "  perfumer  to  the  Sultan"  ?  "We 
stopped  in  front  to  look  at  some  perfumery,  but  we  were 
politely  invited  inside,  to  a  room  in  the  rear  of  the  little 
shop,  where  we  found  a  perfect  cabinet  of  curiosities, 
shawls,  daggers,  pipes,  coffee  cups,  and  perfumeries  of 
the  choicest  kind.  While  we  were  selecting  some  ottar 
of  rose,  we  were  regaled  with  cool  lemon  sherbet,  and 
the  gentlemen  who  manifested  a  tendency  that  way, 
were  furnished  with  pipes,  all  as  an  act  of  politeness 
from  Mustapha  to  his  customers,  though  I  doubt  not  he 
put  on  an  extra  price  to  the  articles  we  bought,  to  cover 
the  cost  of  thus  refreshing  us. 

In  the  fur  bazaar,  we  saw  coats  and  robes  lined  and 
trimmed  with  costly  furs,  and  a  number  of  men  at  work 
making  up  such  coats,  while  the  furs  were  piled  all 
around  them.  Although  the  weather  is  very  hot  here, 
we  constantly  meet  men  in  the  streets  with  such  coats 
on ;  for  my  part,  it  actually  makes  me  warm  to  see 
2 


18  LETTERS. 

them,  and  I  don't  know  what  would  be  the  effect,  if  I 
should  venture  to  wear  one. 

Pipes  we  saw  in  great  abundance  and  variety,  from 
the  plain  stick  of  cherry,  to  those  gaudily  covered  with 
gay  colors  and  decked  out  with  a  profusion  of  tassels 
and  gold  cord.  We  saw  them  making  the  long  tubes 
for  the  nargeelehs,  the  favorite  pipe  of  many  Turks,  the 
smoke  passing  through  water,  which  is  said  to  purify  it 
and  make  it  less  injurious  to  the  smoker. 

In  the  saddlery  bazaar,  we  saw  the  most  beautiful 
saddle  cloths  of  velvet,  gorgeously  adorned  with  gold 
.and  silver  work.  In  short,  during  our  saunter  through 
the  various  bazaars,  we  saw  much  to  interest  and  amuse 
us,  and,  I  may  add,  to  tempt  us  ;  and  not  one  of  us  left 
ihem  without  carrying  away  some  little  token  of  interest. 

Nor  must  I  forget  the  drug  bazaar,  where  venerable 
looking  Turks,  with  white  beards,  and  clouds  of  smoke 
rolling  above  their  heads,  sat  in  attitudes  the  most  pic- 
turesque, each  face  and  figure  and  dress  being  a  fit 
subject  for  a  painter.  The  drugs  are  arranged  in  the 
most  attractive  manner,  on  the  receding  shelves  of  the 
stalls,  the  baskets  and  jars  containing  them  being  turned 
over  with  rich  colored  paper,  a  peculiar  color  for  every 
.species.  The  odor,  too,  is  delightful,  for  here  are  gath- 
ered the  most  costly  drugs  of  the  Orient. 

I  thought  I  had  done ;  but  I  forgot  the  candy  bazaar, 
1where  confectionary  of  every  shape  and  hue  is  arranged 
.in  heaps  and  masses,  sufficient,  I  should  think,  to  satisfy 
.every  candy-loving  child  in  the  whole  of  New  England. 

Nor  was  this  variety,  great  as  it  was,  all  we  saw  to 
interest  us.  The  groups  of  people  in  various  costumes, 
,the  jabber  of  strange  tongues,  mingled,  now  and  then, 
.with  a  few  words  in  English,  the  cries  of  the  venders 


LETTERS.  19 

of  sherbet,  ices,  cakes  and  fruit,  the  porters,  bent  double 
under  enormous  loads,  the  occasional  clatter  on  the 
stones  of  horses'  hoofs,  which  sent  the  crowds  scattering 
in  different  directions,  the  Turkish  women  stopping  full 
before  us,  to  stare  at  us  with  their  great  black  eyes,  the 
beggars  following  us  with  beseeching  cries  and  gestures, 
the  eagerness  of  some  of  the  shopkeepers,  and  the 
phlegmatic  indifference  of  others,  the  lights  and  shades 
thrown  over  the  whole,  these  and  a  thousand  like  things, 
render  a  walk  in  the  bazaars  of  Constantinople  one  of 
stirring  and  constantly  changing  interest. 

At  last,  it  was  time  to  turn  our  faces  homeward,  and 
tired  though  we  all  were,  we  stopped  often  on  the  bridge 
to  look  down  into  the  water,  and  watch  the  caiques  as 
they  darted  rapidly  by.  Up  the  steep  streets  of  Galata 
and  Pera  we  toiled,  till  at  length  we  found  ourselves 
once  more  in  our  hotel,  and  after  going  up  three  flights 
of  stairs,  in  our  pleasant  chamber,  that  commands  an 
extensive  view  of  the  Golden  Horn,  with  Stamboul  be- 
fore us,  seated  on  her  seven  hills,  her  countless  domes 
and  minarets  standing  out  clear  against  the  blue  sky. 

As  twilight  came  on,  I  laid  aside  my  pen,  and  looked 
abroad  over  the  beautiful  scene.  Across  the  placid 
water  glided  countless  caiqries,  with  so  little  apparent 
motion,  they  did  not  leave  the  slightest  wake  behind. 
The  setting  sun  lighted  up  the  crescents  on  the  domes 
of  the  mosques,  and  brought  out  clear  and  distinct  the 
fretted  galleries  around  the  minarets.  And  hark  !  from 
each  gallery  rings  forth  the  muezzin's  cry,  "  There  is 
but  one  God,  and  Mohammed  is  his  prophet ;  come  to 
prayers,  come  to  salvation,"  and  a  thousand  obedient 
children  of  the  Prophet  obey  the  call,  and  throng  to  the 
mosques,  while  others  in  the  streets,  or  in  their  houses, 


20  LETTERS. 

unroll  their  prayer  carpets,  and  turning  their  faces  to- 
wards Mecca,  go  through  their  evening  devotions. 
Once  more  good  bye. 


LETTER    XL  VII. 

Queen's  Birthday. — Dogs. — Marvellous  Story.  —  Caiques.  —  Scutari. — 
Disappointment. — Tophana. — Review  of  English  Troops. — Araba. — 
Another  Carriage. — Chrysopolis. — Cemetery. — Lovely  Country. — Bul- 
ghurlhu. — Extensive  View. — Adventure. — Return  to  Pera. 

PERA,  May  25th. 
MY  DEAR : 

The  almanac  will  tell  you  this  is  the  birthday  of  Queen 
Victoria ;  and  we  heard  from  some  English  officers  at 
our  table  that  there  was  to  be  a  grand  review  of  the 
troops  early  this  morning,  in  honor  of  the  day.  Averse 
as  I  am  to  an  early  start,  I  could  not  think  of  letting  such 
an  event  go  by  without  making  some  exertions  to  wit- 
ness it ;  and  the  consequence  was,  I  slept  but  little  last 
night,  partly  owing  to  fear  lest  I  should  oversleep  my- 
self, but  more,  I  must  confess,  to  the  incessant  barking 
of  some  "  forty-leven"  dogs  beneath  our  windows.  I 
thought  Egypt  was  a  great  place  for  dogs,  but  they  are 
not  to  be  mentioned  in  the  same  breath  with  the  dogs 
of  Constantinople.  By  day,  I  believe  they  never  attack 
strangers,  but  at  night  they  are  not  so  forbearing ;  and 
our  guide  told  us  that  not  long  since,  an  English  soldier 
was  attacked  by  some  dogs,  and  entirely  eaten  up,  ex- 
cept his  boots !  But,  as  an  offset  to  this  marvellous 
story,  I  must  admit  his  narratives  are  not  always  to  be 
depended  upon. 

To  get  a  party  of  six  together,  early  in  the  morning, 


LETTERS.  21 

is  no  slight  job ;  but  at  last  we  were  all  mustered  in 
the  vestibule  of  the  hotel,  and  in  a  few  minutes  were  on 
our  way  to  Tophana,  to  take  caiques  for  Scutari,  where 
the  troops  are  quartered.  I  had  been  told  so  much  of 
the  ease  with  which  these  little  boats  are  upset,  I  was 
quite  afraid  to  get  into  one  ;  however,  as  the  only  danger 
is  in  stepping  on  the  side,  I  made  a  great  effort,  and 
leaped  directly  into  the  middle.  These  caiques  are 
narrow,  graceful  looking  little  boats,  the  smallest  ones 
rowed  by  one  man,  (who  puffs  and  blows  like  a  por- 
poise,) and  you  seat  yourself,  like  a  Turk,  on  a  cushion 
in  the  bottom  of  the  boat.  Only  two  can  go  in  one  of 
the  smaller  caiques,  so  our  party,  dividing  themselves 
into  twos,  were  soon  on  their  way  across  the  Bosphorus. 
The  row  over  was  delightful,  as  we  wound  in  and  out 
among  the  shipping,  bearing  the  flags  of  nearly  every 
nation. 

Landing  at  Scutari,  we  made  our  way  up  the  steep 
hill,  (for  all  the  hills  in  this  neighborhood  are  steep,) 
to  the  immense  barracks,  capable,  it  is  said,  of  accom- 
modating eighteen  thousand  soldiers.  We  saw  nothing 
that  indicated  any  extraordinary  event  going  on,  so  we 
went  to  the  English  encampment,  a  little  farther  off. 
The  ground  was  white  with  the  tents  spread  over  it,  but 
nothing  was  to  be  seen  of  officers  or  soldiers.  At  last 
we  succeeded  in  finding  out  that  the  review  was  to  be 
at  eleven  o'clock.  Here  was  a  nice  "  mess."  Should 
we  lounge  around  there,  breakfastless,  or  come  home 
for  our  breakfast,  and  return  in  season  for  the  review  ? 
Some  of  the  party  were  for  staying,  and  trusting  to  for- 
tune, in  the  shape  of  a  poor  restaurant,  for  breakfast ; 
but  I  preferred  to  come  back,  so  we  turned  back  to  the 
caiques,  and  in  due  time  were  landed  at  Tophana. 


22  LETTERS. 

Here  is  another  of  those  exquisite  fountains,  which 
form  one  of  the  peculiar  beauties  of  Constantinople. 
It  is  of  white  marble,  of  Saracenic  style  of  architec- 
ture, elaborately  adorned  with  carvings  and  fretwork, 
and  letters  of  gold.  On  the  four  sides,  the  water  runs 
out  into  a  little  basin ;  and  here,  young  and  old,  rich 
and  poor,  may  stop  to  quaff  the  cool  drink.  I  never 
pass  it  by  without  stopping  to  look  with  renewed  ad- 
miration at  this  perfect  little  gem. 

Breakfast  over,  we  started  once  more  for  Scutari ;  and 
now  we  saw  the  vessels  in  the  harbor  decked  out  with 
flags  and  streamers,  and  some  with  wreaths  of  evergreen. 
The  St.  Louis,  in  addition  to  her  "  stars  and  stripes," 
carried  English  and  Turkish  flags,  while  some  of  the 
English  men-of-war  bore  American  as  well  as  Turkish 
colors.  But  we  heard  no  firing.  "  How  is  this  ?"  we 
asked.  "  Why,  they  were  all  saving  their  powder  to 
use  it  on  the  Russians !"  Economical,  truly. 

The  review  had  commenced  when  we  reached  the 
ground,  and  to  my  eye,  so  totally  unaccustomed  to  lines 
of  soldiers,  the  number  of  troops  seemed  enormous.  I 
believe  there  were  about  twenty  thousand  on  the  ground, 
which  you  must  admit  was  quite  an  army.  I  shall  not 
dwell  upon  their  manoeuvres,  nor  the  skill  and  disci- 
pline they  manifested,  for  I  am  too  ignorant  on  such 
subjects  to  do  them  justice.  At  one  time,  the  band 
struck  up  "  God  save  the  Queen,"  and  after  playing  a 
few  notes,  stopped,  and  then  the  signal  was  given  for 
"  three  cheers  for  the  Queen,  God  bless  her  Majesty," 
and  immediately  every  head  was  uncovered,  every  hat 
and  cap  waved  in  the  air,  and  three  prolonged  cheers 
rung  out.  Even  the  spectators  paid  this  mark  of  re- 
spect to  the  Queen  of  Great  Britain,  and  French,  Arner- 


LETTERS.  23 

icans,  Italians,  Spaniards,  all  of  whatever  nation,  ex- 
cept Turkish,  (and  they  have  no  hats  to  take  off,) 
uncovered,  and  united  their  cheers  with  those  of  the 
soldiers.  Do  not  laugh  at  me,  when  I  say  it  was  a 
sublime  sight ;  but  republican  as  I  am,  and  glorying, 
too,  in  my  republicanism,  I  was  moved  almost  to  tears. 

The  review  over,  our  party  gathered  together  to  decide 
what  we  should  do  the  remainder  of  the  day.  Con- 
stantine  (no  relation  to  the  Emperor  of  that  name,  but 
our  Greek  guide,)  told  us  there  was  a  delightful  drive 
to  Bulghurlhu,  (an  unpronounceable  name,  I  admit,  but 
not  more  difficult  to  pronounce  than  to  spell,)  and  a 
magnificent  view  after  we  got  there.  "We  wanted  to  see 
as  much  of  Turkey  in  Asia  as  possible,  so  at  once  we 
decided  to  go  there,  (I  do  not  think  I  can  spell  that 
again ;)  but  how  to  go  ?  was  the  question. 

In  Syria  and  Palestine,  there  was  no  other  way  to  get 
about  but  on  horseback,  for  such  a  thing  as  a  carriage  is 
never  seen  in  those  countries,  for  the  best  of  all  reasons, 
there  are  no  roads ;  but  here  were  both  carriages  and 
roads,  so  "my  voice"  was  for  the  carriage ;  and  being  the 
only  lady's  voice  in  the  party,  was  listened  to  with  atten- 
tion, probably  more  from  that  fact  than  from  its  intrinsic 
merits.  But  even  here,  we  could  not  come  to^a  harmo- 
nious decision,  for  we  had  two  different  kinds  of  car- 
riages to  choose  from.  Let  me  describe  them  to  you, 
though  I  am  confident  no  description  can  do  them  justice, 
they  are  so  totally  unlike  any  thing  you  ever  saw. 

One  is  called  an  "  araba,"  and  looks  more  like  the 
fantastic  vehicles  in  which  fairy  queens  come  upon  the 
stage,  than  any  thing  in*  real,  every  day  life.  It  is  a 
long  wagon,  of  a  peculiar  shape,  and  if  it  were  not  for 
comparing  it  with  too  common  things,  I  should  say  it 


24  LETTERS. 

somewhat  resembled  what  we,  at  home,  call  a  "  meat 
wagon ;"  but  it  is  covered  with  a  crimson  cloth,  rolled 
up  at  the  sides,  displaying  three  or  four  seats  inside. 
The  body  of  the  carriage,  and  even  the  wheels,  are  elab- 
orately adorned  with  gilded  carvings,  which  help  to  add 
to  its  fantastic  appearance.  Nor  is  the  carriage  all  that 
is  peculiar,  for  it  is  drawn  by  two  oxen,  their  tails  tied 
to  a  hoop,  bent  back  from  the  front  of  the  pole,  their 
heads  and  horns,  and  the  long  curve  of  the  hoop,  decked 
with  a  profusion  of  red  or  yellow  tassels.  Beside  the 
carriage  walks  an  eunuch  or  old  Turk,  while  a  slave 
runs  along  by  the  side  of  the  oxen1 ;  and  in  vehicles  like 
this  many  of  the  Moslem  ladies  take  an  airing.  But 
from  there  being  no  springs  to  the  carriage,  I  should 
fancy  it  could  not  be  very  easy,  particularly  over  paved 
streets ;  still,  for  the  very  fun  of  the  thing,  I  was  willing 
to  brave  all  inconveniences,  for  I  thought  it  would  be  very 
"jolly,"  as  the  English  say,  riding  all  together  in  that 
vehicle,  though  some  of  my  companions  thought  it 
would  terminate  more  in  "jelly"  than  in  "jolly." 

Turn  we  now  to  the  other  carriage,  for  as  I  do  not 
know  the  Turkish  name  for  it,  I  can  designate  it  by  no 
other  term  than  the  general  one  of  carriage.  This  is 

smaller  than  the  "  araba,"  and  has  two  immense  wheels 
•s  * 

behind,  and  two  as  proportionably  small  before.  It  has 
no  windows  like  our  carriages,  but  the  sides  are  cut  out 
in  a  peculiar  manner,  and  decked  with  white  muslin 
curtains.  There  is  no  door,  but  after  getting  upon  the 
step,  you  are  forced  to  climb  over  the  side,  not  an  easy 
or  agreeable  performance.  Like  the  "araba,"  it  is 
adorned  with  a  profusion  of*  carving  and  gilding,  and 
.though  it  has  a  seat  for  the  driver,  I  think  he*  never 


LETTERS.  25 

mounts,  but  walks  by  the  side  of  his  horse,  for  this  is 
drawn  by  a  horse,  not  by  oxen. 

Four  of  us  took  possession  of  this  vehicle,  while  two 
of  the  gentlemen,  and  Constantine,  mounted  donkeys, 
and  though  the  first  start  almost  sent  us  off  the  seats, 
and  the  jostling  over  the  pavements  was  far  from  being 
easy,  I  believed  we  all  enjoyed  the  ride  very  much, 
though  I  strongly  suspect  the  springs  of  the  carriage 
were  not  after  the  most  improved  pattern.  The  three 
gentlemen,  probably  from  their  early  rising  this  morn- 
ing, were  soon  nodding,  though  the  jolts  and  jerks  of 
the  carriage  prevented  them  from  enjoying  any  very 
long  naps. 

Scutari  was  called  by  the  ancients  Chrysopolis,  "  the 
golden  city,"  because  here,  during  wars,  and  in  troub- 
lous times,  the  Persians  deposited  their  treasures  and 
paid  their  tribute  ;  and  although  generally  considered  a 
part  of  Constantinople,  it  is  in  itself  a  large  and  popu- 
lous city,  containing,  I  believe,  more  than  eighty  thou- 
sand inhabitants.  It  is  situated  on  a  hill,  very  steep  upon 
the  side  washed  by  the  Marmora,  but  gracefully  leaning 
towards  the  Seraglio  on  the.  opposite  shore,  like  an 
Asiatic  lady  bowing  to  her  European  partner,  (an  old 
figure  of  speech,  not  at  all  original.)  The  cemetery  at, 
Scutari  covers  as  much  ground  as  some  cities,  and  it 
is  said  that  on  no  other  spot  on  the  earth,  are  so  many 
of  the  human  race  gathered  together.  Its  immense  pall 
of  cypress  stretches  far  away  over  the  hill,  and  through 
the  valley,  till  it  terminates,  at  last,  in  a  long  point  pro- 
jecting into  the  Marmora,  as  though  it  were  poufing  its 
contents  into  the  sea. 

I  must  say  I  was  glad  when  we  left  the  paved  streets, 
and  once  more  had  the  ground  beneath  our  feet.  How 


26  LETTERS.' 

like  it  seemed  to  a  scene  at  home,  the  wide  road  bor- 
dered with  stone  walls,  or  wooden  houses,  though  houses 
like  these,  with  the  upper  story  projecting  over  the  lower, 
and  with  closely  latticed  windows,  are  unlike  any  we 
would  see  in  our  land.  The  country  was  very  pretty, 
with  its  sloping  hills  looking  smiling  and  fertile,  and  we 
caught  snatches  of  the  Bosphorus,  which  only  made  us 
long  for  more.  I  should  think  we  rode  quite  six  miles, 
and  some  part  of  the  way  the  hills  were  so  very  steep, 
the  gentlemen  got  out  and  walked,  leaving  me  in  un- 
disputed possession  of  the  carriage. 

At  last,  we  reached  the  village,  and  there  leaving  the 
carriage,  we  walked  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  sat  down 
to  rest  and  to  enjoy  the  prospect.  Come  and  sit  with 
me  on  this  rocky  seat,  and  let  your  eye  take  in  the  whole 
scene.  Is  it  not  lovely  ?  See,  we  are  on  the  hill  Bul- 
ghurlhu,  which  is  a  link  in  the  Bythynian  chain,  and 
below  us,  embowered  in  trees,  lie  villages  and  palaces 
and  kiosks,  while  beyond  is  Scutari,  with  its  forest  of 
cypresses,  and  opposite  to  it,  Constantinople,  "  the  mag- 
nificent ;"  and  does  she  not  well  deserve  her  title  ? 
The  light  falls  upon  St.  Sophia's  "  gleaming  dome,"  and 
the  seven  towers  loom  up  against  the  clear  sky.  You 
look  far  over  the  glittering  Propontis,  and  along  the 
winding,  village-covered  shores  of  the  Bosphorus,  and 
up  even  into  the  Golden  Horn ;  the  ancient  walls  of 
Byzantium,  and  the  new  palace  of  the  Sultan,  all  are 
before  you,  and  if  you  turn  slightly  round,  the  islands 
of  the  Marmora  lie  beneath  you,  while  far  in  the  dis- 
tance rises  the  snow-crested  Olympus,  looking  down 
upon  the  fertile  plain  of  Broussa,  at  its  feet.  Have  I 
brought  it  before  you,  so  that  you  can  see  it  distinctly 
with  your  mind's  eye  ?  My  eyes  never  rested  upon  a 


LETTERS.  27 

fairer  scene,  and  you  may  readily  imagine  we  were  loath 
to  leave  it.  But  the  sun  was  getting  lower,  and  we 
must  follow  his  example,  so  we  descended  the  hill, 
climbed  up  into  our  clumsy  vehicle,  and  soon  were 
rumbling  on  towards  Scutari. 

We  passed  another  large  cemetery  on  our  way  back 
by  a  different  road,  and  the  tall  white  tombstones,  and 
the  lofty  cypresses,  planted  so  closely  together  as  to  form 
an  almost  impervious  shade,  gave  it  a  picturesque  ap- 
pearance. 

"While  Constantine  was  trying  to  get  a  caique  large 
enough  to  take  us  all  across,  I  sat  down  to  rest,  (for 
my  ride  had  jounced  me  to  an  uncomfortable  degree,) 
on  a  block  of  pure  white  marble,  forming  two  steps,  and 
scarcely  was  I  seated,  when  a  soldier  came  up  to  me, 
and  said  "  non  bono"  (not  good ;)  but  I  did  not  agree 
with  him,  for  I  thought  it  a  very  nice  seat  indeed,  and 
very  soon  I  had  quite  a  crowd  around  me.  But  as  I  am 
by  this  time  accustomed  to  being  stared  at,  it  produced 
no-effect  upon  me,  so  I  sat  still,  jotting  down  in  my  note- 
book the  proceedings  of  the  day.  Presently  one  of  my 
companions  came  to  me,  and  asked  me  what  I  had  been 
saying  to  that  soldier,  for  he  saw  him  go  back  to  his 
commanding  officer,  and  evidently  tell  him  something 
about  me,  as  he  pointed  to  me  while  he  was  talking,  and 
then  the  officer  seemed  to  wish  him  to  come  again,  but 
the  man  demurred,  whereupon  the  officer  then  pushed 
him,  and  finally  struck  him  with  the  hilt  of  his  sword, 
all  to  no  effect,  for  the  man  shook  his  head  and  walked 
away.  I  could  not  imagine  what  it  all  meant,  so  I  called 
Constantine  to  my  aid.  He  turned  to  some  of  the 
crowd  and  asked  what  was  the  matter.  At  least  a  dozen 
voices  clamored  forth  a  reply,  but  at  last  I  succeeded 


28  LETTEES. 

in  getting  his  interpretation.  It  seems  I  was  sitting 
upon  steps  put  there  for  his  "  Imperial  Majesty  the 
Sultan"  to  stand  upon,  when  he  was  about  to  mount  his 
horse  to  ride  to  any  of  his  palaces  near  Scutari ;  and 
it  was  not  deemed  proper  for  a  Christian  to  sit  upon 
the  Sultan's  horse-block !  When  I  first  refused  to  get 
up,  the  soldier  had  returned  to  his  officer  with  the  ac- 
count of  the  non-success  of  his  mission ;  he  was  then 
bidden  to  come  again  and  command  me  to  leave  my 
seat,  and  he  refused  to  obey,  on  the  ground  that  I  was 
"  English,"  and  not  to  be  dictated  to,  for  some  of  the  peo- 
ple here  think  they  must  put  up  with  a  great  many  things 
from  the  English,  because  they  have  come  to  fight  for 
them. 

So  much  for  this  day. 


LETTER    XLVIII. 

Buyukdere. — Unquiet  Nights. — Ramazan. — Night  Scene. — Galata.— Walls 
of  the  City. — Seven  Towers. — Costumes. — Palace  of  the  Seraskier. — 
Extensive  View. 

BOYUKDERE,  May  30th. 
MY  DEAR  S. : 

After  an  interval  of  nearly  a  week,  I  take  up  my  pen 
once  more  to  give  you  an  account  of  our  further  ram- 
bles in  and  around  Constantinople,  and  as  from  the  name 
at  the  head  of  this  letter,  you  may  wonder  where  we 
are,  I  hasten  to  tell  you  that  Buyukdere  is  a  small  town 
on  the  Bosphorus,  about  fifteen  miles  from  Constantino- 
ple, and  five  or  six  from  the  Black  Sea.  The  weather 
was  getting  so  hot,  we  found  it  very  fatiguing  to  go 
about,  and  after  six  days  spent  in  sight-seeing,  being 


LETTERS.  29 

out  nearly  every  day  from  ten  o'clock  till  six,  and  at- 
tempting to  write  each  evening,  and  early  every  morn- 
ing, I  found  my  health  and  strength  too  severely  taxed, 
so  we  came  up  here  to  recruit,  and  to  bring  up  my 
•writing,  which  as  is  often  the  case,  is  sadly  in  arrears. 
Besides,  the  nights  in  Pera  were  very  unquiet,  for  the 
dogs  kept  up  a  constant  barking,  and  at  intervals,  an 
unearthly  howl  rung  out  upon  the  air,  which  was  re- 
peated from  post  to  post.  For  a  long  time  we  could 
not  make  out  what  it  was,  but  after  asking  a  great  many 
people,  we  were  finally  told  it  was  the  cry  of  the  night 
watch.  I  should  think  they  might  have  fixed  upon  a 
more  musical  sound  for  their  signals. 

Last  Saturday  too,  the  Ramazan  commenced,  the 
yearly  fast  of  the  Turks,  which  lasts  a  lunar  month. 
During  the  day,  from  sunrise  to  sunset,  the  devout 
Mussulman  eats  nothing,  neither  does  he  drink,  not  a 
drop  of  cold  water  even,  touching  his  lips.  His  dearly 
beloved  pipe  too,  is  laid  aside,  but  to  pay  for  all  the 
self-denial  by  day,  the  moment  the  sunset  gun  booms 
forth,  they  give  themselves  up  to  feasting  and  revelry, 
to  noise  and  merriment.  In  order  to  get  along  still 
easier,  many  of  them  sleep  the  greater  part  of  the  day, 
and  stay  up  three-fourths  of  the  night,  and  the  dogs 
too  follow  their  example,  for  they  lie  dozing  in  the 
streets  all  day,  and  bark  incessantly  at  night.  Drums 
and  trumpets  and  bugles  were  sounding  in  the  streets, 
the  whole  night  long ;  in  short  it  was  a  repetition  on  a 
mammoth  scale  of  the  scene  which  invariably  takes 
place  at  home,  on  the  night  before  the  fourth  of  July. 
We  really  could  not  sleep,  and  you  may  imagine,  after 
such  a  night,  how  poorly  we  were  prepared  for  a  day 
of  sight-seeing.  But  the  appearance  of  Constantinople 


30  LETTERS. 

at  night,  was  perfectly  lovely,  for  the  whole  city  is 
brilliantly  illuminated  every  night  during  the  Raniazan. 
Before  that  commenced,  we  could  scarcely  see  a  light 
twinkling  across  the  Golden  Horn,  for  we  have  not  yet 
arrived  in  the  regions  of  gas  lights,  and  Constantinople, 
immense,  as  it  is,  is  as  unfit  for  a  person  to  walk  about 
in,  after  dark,  as  a  little  town  in  Nubia. 

But  now  the  scene  is  changed,  and  the  city  looks  like 
a  picture  in  magic  land.  Each  dome,  each  tapering 
minaret,  almost  every  house,  are  lighted,  and  the  little 
lamps,  far  up  in  the  domes,  arranged  so  as  to  form 
Turkish  characters,  and  the  bright  lights,  twinkling  out 
of  the  fretted  gallery  of  each  minaret,  like  lustrous 
stars  in  the  sky,  make  the  city,  enthroned  on  her  seven 
hills,  shine  forth  with  almost  unearthly  beauty,  and 
when  I  could  not  sleep,  I  would  get  up  and  stand  by 
the  window,  and  gaze  forth  upon  the  unrivalled  scene, 
till  I  grew  too  sleepy  to  look  longer. 

And  now  we  are  here  in  quiet,  and  I  sit  by  my  win- 
dow opening  out  upon  the  Bosphorus,  which  is  here  so 
hemmed  in,  as  to  look  like  a  lake,  and  my  paper  is 
spread  out  upon  the  table,  and  I  am  ready  to  recall  and 
record  past  scenes.  Let  me  see,  where  did  I  leave  off! 
Oh,  on  the  night  of  the  Queen's  birth-day ;  so  I  will 
take  up  the  thread  of  my  narrative  from  that  time. 

On  Thursday  morning,  we  went  down  to  Galata  to 
take  a  caique  for  a  row  down  the  Sea  of  Marmora. 
The  lower  streets  of  Galata  would  not  give  you  a  fa- 
vorable idea  of  the  cleanliness  of  the  town,  for  I  must 
say  I  have  walked  in  much  cleaner  streets,  even  in  some 
towns  in  the  East.  I  like  to  know  the  meaning  of 
names,  and  perhaps  you  have  a  tendency  that  way 
yourself,  so  I  will  tell  you,  that  to  the  best  of  my  knowl- 


LETTERS.  31 

edge,  Galata  means  "  milk,"  that  suburb  having  origi- 
nally been  the  milk  market  of  the  neighborhood,  and 
Pera,  is  taken  from  the  Greek  preposition  signifying 
"  beyond,"  because  it  lies  beyond  Galata. 

Having  delivered  myself  of  this  piece  of  wisdom  and 
information,  I  will  proceed,  in  a  less  didactic  manner, 
to  say,  that  having  procured  a  large  caique,  with  three 
men  and  six  oars,  we  were  soon  speeding  down  the 
Bosphorus  into  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  round  the  point  on 
which  is  seated  the  Seraglio,  the  palace  where  the  form- 
er Sultans  lived  in  state,  by  gardens  and  kiosks,  and 
under  the  windows  through  the  lattices  of  "which  Sul- 
tanas and  slaves  peeped  down  on  the  sea  beneath  them, 
and  near  the  little  door  whence  unfaithful  mistresses 
were  thrown  into  the  Marmora,  till  we  left  the  Imperial 
palace  behind,  and  came  in  front  of  the  wall,  which 
hems  in  that  part  of  the  city  that  lies  beyond  the  Pal- 
ace. For  more  than  six  miles,  we  kept  along  the  wall, 
which  is  high  and  strengthened  with  bastions.  It  does 
not  rise  directly  out  of  the  water,  but  has  a  narrow 
terrace  at  its  base,  thus  affording  a  pleasant  walk  the 
whole  length  of  the  city.  In  different  parts  of  the  wall, 
we  saw  inserted  marble  and  columns,  remains  of  the 
former  glory  of  Byzantium.  The  houses  are  all  dark 
colored,  tumble-down-looking  affairs,  but  still  they  have 
a  picturesque  aspect. 

As  I  told  you  once  before,  the  city  of  Constantinople 
is  situated  on  a  triangular  promontory,  watered  on  the 
one  side  by  the  Marmora,  and  on  the  other  by  the  Bos- 
phorus, and  both  on  the  sea  and  land  side,  it  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall,  in  some  places  in  rather  a  dilapida- 
ted state. 

At  the  south-west  angle  of  the  city,  where  the  land 


32  LETTERS. 

wall  meets  that  on  the  Marmora,  stand  the  celebrated 
seven  towers.  These  are  a  cluster  of  fortresses,  some 
of  them  dating  back  to  the  days  of  Theodosius  ;  others 
are  of  a  later  origin,  having  been  added  by  some  of  the 
Greek  emperors,  and  one  was  built  more  recently  still, 
by  Mohammed  the  second.  They  were  originally  lofty 
octagonal  towers,  and  when  they  all  frowned  at  once  upon 
the  Propontis,  must  have  presented  a  formidable  aspect. 
Three  of  them  are  now  in  ruins,  and  only  five  of  them 
rise  above  the  massive  battlements,  while  but  one  bears 
the  crescent.  These  towers,  could  they  speak,  would  a 
gloomy  tale  unfold,  for  they  have  witnessed  many  a 
scene  of  horror  and  bloodshed ;  but  though  it  is  said 
"walls  have  ears,"  we  are  no  where  told  they  have 
tongues.  Fortunately,  the  voice  of  history  is  not  always 
silenced,  and  she  gives  forth  many  a  dark  record  of  the 
seven  towers  of  Constantinople.  They  have  served  as 
a  castle  for  tyrants,  a  prison  for  offenders  against  the 
state,  and  a  treasury  for  the  spoils  of  the  imperial  con- 
queror. In  despite  of  the  law  of  nations,  an  ambassa- 
dor, offending  the  Sublime  Porte,  was  shut  up  in  one  of 
these  gloomy  dungeons ;  and  an  instance  is  given  of  a 
Russian  count,  who  was  confined  there  three  years,  on 
account  of  some  little  misunderstanding  between  the 
court  of  the  Sultan  and  the  Czarina  Catharine.  Within 
the  enclosure  of  the  walls  is  shown  a  spot  called  "  the 
place  of  heads,"  from  the  great  number  of  heads  once 
piled  here,  one  upon  another,  and  there  was  once  a 
"  well  of  blood,"  from  which  the  blood  of  the  slain 
flowed  over  the  pavement  into  the  sea. 

These  towers  are  now  used  as  a  magazine  for  powder 
and  arms,  and  the  Turks,  guarding  the  entrance,  refused 
to  let  us  go  in,  without  a  "  firman"  from  government ; 


LETTERS.  33 

and  for  one,  I  was  not  sorry  to  be  spared  seeing  the 
spots  where  such  dark  deeds  were  perpetrated. 

We  walked  through  some  of  the  streets  of  the  Greek 
quarter,  and  found  them  clean,  comparatively  speaking, 
but  many  of  the  houses  were  entirely  shut  up,  so  many 
of  the  Greeks  being  recently  banished  from  the  empire. 
The  Greek  women  here  dress  as  in  Smyrna,  their  hair 
braided  across  their  red  caps,  and  some  of  their  faces 
are  very  handsome.  The  children  are  many  of  them 
lovely,  with  their  classical  features  and  their  large,  lus- 
trous eyes. 

Once  more  we  were  in  our  caique,  and  our  boatmen* 
were  puffing  and  blowing  with  all  their  might.  Their 
dress  is  very  pretty ;  large,  full  Turkish  trousers  of 
white  cotton,  and  shirts  with  loose  flowing  sleeves  of 
thin  striped  stuff,  made,  I  think,  of  silk  and  linen,  or 
linen  and  cotton,  I  don't  know  which. 

We  dismissed  our  caique,  just  beyond  Seraglio  point, 
and  made  our  way  through  streets  crowded  with  motley 
groups.  I  am  now  learning  to  tell  different  nations  and 
classes,  by  some  peculiar  feature  of  their  dress ;  for  in- 
stance, the  Dervish,  (the  Moslem  monk,)  wears  a  conical 
cap  of  drab-colored  felt ;  the  Persian,  a  tall  black  cap 
of  skin,  finished  off  at  the  top  somewhat  like  a  Bishop's 
mitre,  while  the  Circassian,  with  his  round,  ruddy  face, 
wears  a  high  cap  of  cloth,  with  a  border  of  sheepskin 
around  it,  the  long  wool  arranged  in  curls. 

Arriving  at  the  palace  of  the  Seraskier,  or  command - 
er-in-chief  of  the  army,  we  went  up  into  a  high  tower, 
which  is  used  for  giving  the  signals,  when  there  is  a  fire 
in  any  part  of  the  city.  We  ascended  to  the  top,  by  a 
flight  of  one  hundred  and"  seventy-nine  steps,  and  as 
they  are  very  high,  they  are  not  at  all  easy  to  ascend. 
3 


34  LETTERS. 

But  the  view  from  the  top  is  superb.  The  city  and  its  sub- 
urbs, from  the  numerous  cemeteries  scattered  through 
them,  and  the  courts  of  many  of  the  houses  being 
planted  with  trees  and  vines,  look  like  one  immense 
garden,  with  clusters  of  houses  nestled  down  among  the 
trees.  Directly  beneath  us  lay  the  palace,  a  long  range 
of  grated  prisons,  and  the  dome  and  minarets  of  the 
mosque  of  Bajazet. 

From  this  elevation,  I  saw  the  great  extent  of  the 
bazaars,  for  the  succession  of  low  domes,  pierced  with 
small  windows,  indicated  their  different  locations  ;  and 
I  suppose  this  is  really  the  only  point  where  one  could 
form  a  just  estimate  of  the  world-famed  bazaars  of  Con- 
stantinople. In  fact  the  whole  city  is  here  spread  out 
like  a  map,  and  if  you  had  the  time,  it  is  said  you  could 
count  one  thousand  domes  and  five  thousand  minarets. 
But  the  distant  view  surpasses  all.  Far  to  the  south, 
spreads  the  Sea  of  Marmora,  studded  with  lovely  isles  ; 
on  the  east,  the  continent  of  Asia  presents  a  long  range 
of  mountains,  every  one  of  which  is  known  to  the  world 
for  some  deed  of  blood  and  heroism,  and  among  which 
lie  Bithynia,  Phrygia  and  Cappadocia,  dear  to  the 
Christian  heart,  as  the  scene  of  many  of  the  labors  of 
the  great  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles.  Far  above  them  all, 
towers  Olympus,  its  summit  crowned  with  a  diadem  of 
eternal  snow. 

Like  a  deep  chasm  in  the  hills,  the  Bosphorus  opens, 
and  as  far  as  you  can  follow  its  course,  you  see  jutting 
promontories  and  deeply  indented  bays,  so  that  it  is 
said  if  the  water  could  be  drawn  out  of  the  straits,  and 
the  opposite  shores  be  brought  together,  they  would  fit 
into  each  other  perfectly.  'Along  the  promontories,  and 


LETTERS.  35 

around  the  bays,  you  see  palaces  and  mosques,  castles 
and  forts,  backed  by  gentle  hills,  bright  and  green. 

On  the  north,  the  Golden  Horn  winds  away,  till  it 
tapers  off  into  a  narrow  stream,  and  is  lost  among  the 
overhanging  trees  and  encircling  hills  of  the  "  Valley 
of  Sweet  Waters."  Far  to  the  left,  amid  domes  and 
slender  minarets,  and  palaces  and  trees,  are  the  pictur- 
esque remains  of  an  old  Roman  aqueduct,  its  double 
row  of  arches  overgrown  with  ivy  and  clustering  vines. 

What  a  view  it  was !  I  was  almost  tempted  to  say 
it  was  the  loveliest,  the  most  extensive  I  ever  saw. 
And  while  we  walked  from  window  to  window,  and 
returned  again  and  again  to  some  favorite  spot,  a  com- 
pany of  soldiers  gathered  in  the  court  beneath,  and  the 
band  struck  up  an  animating  quickstep.  As  a  general 
thing,  the  Turkish  music  we  have  heard  has  been  noth- 
ing to  boast  of,  but  this  was  really  very  good. 

We  took  a  stroll  through  some  of  the  bazaars,  and 
once  more  the  purse  strings  were  unloosed,  and  the  silk 
dress  was  bought,  and  another  pair  of  embroidered 
slippers. 

But  this  certainly  is  enough  for  one  day. 


LETTER    XLIX. 

The  Sultan. — Dervishes. — Valley  of  Sweet  Waters. — Attractive  Scene. — 
Cemetery. — Mosque  of  Eyoub. 

BtiTCKDERE,  May  31st. 
MY  DEAR  F. : 

Without  any  "  preliminary  remarks,"  I  proceed  with 
my  record  of  the  past  week.  On  Friday,  we  hired  a 
caique  by  the  day,  and  started  off  soon  after  breakfast, 


36  LETTERS. 

on  another  "  exploring  expedition."  Our  first  destina- 
tion was  a  little  way  up  the  Bosphorus,  our  object,  to 
see  the  Sultan  go  to  a  mosque  for  the  noonday  prayers, 
for  every  Friday,  (which  you  know  is  the  Mohammedan 
Sunday,)  this  orthodox  Mussulman  goes  to  some  mosque, 
and  it  is  always  announced  early  in  the  morning  what 
mosque  he  will  attend,  which  is  a  very  good  thing  for 
those  who  like  to  see  royal  personages.  We  passed  by 
the  new  palace  of  the  Sultan,  an  extensive  edifice,  not 
yet  finished,  and  came  to  that  in  which  he  now  resides. 
Here  we  landed,  and  going  up  into  the  town,  got  a  good 
situation,  on  a  little  bank  under  the  shade  of  a  tree, 
and  there  we  waited  a  half  hour  for  the  approach  of  the 
brother  of  the  sun !  Lines  of  soldiers  were  stationed 
along  the  street  through  which  the  royal  train  was  to 
pass,  and  bands  of  music  at  little  intervals.  The  mid- 
dle of  the  street  was  watered,  so  that  no  dust  should 
sully  the  feet  of  the  Arabian  charger  which  bore  the 
"  illustrious  descendant  of  a  long  line  of  kings."  At 
last,  the  report  of  a  cannon  told  that  the  Sultan  had 
left  his  palace ;  the  bands  struck  up,  and  every  head 
was  turned  towards  the  upper  end  of  the  street.  I 
can't  tell  who  came  first,  for  there  was  no  one  near  me 
whom  I  could  ask,  but  immediately  preceding  the  Sul- 
tan, came  the  Minister  of  War,  the  Minister  of  Police, 
and  the  Minister  of  Finance,  and  then,  mounted  on  a 
splendid  black  horse,  appeared  Abdel  Medjib,  the  head 
of  the  Ottoman  empire,  which  some  predict  is  now  tot- 
tering to  its  fall.  As  he  rode  slowly  by,  I  had  a  good 
opportunity  to  see  him,  and  a  more  inanimate  face,  or 
eyes  from  which  all  life*  and  soul  seemed  to  have  de- 
parted, I  never  saw.  He  was  dressed  very  plainly,  in 
European  style,  though  the  collar  and  cuffs  of  his  coat 


LETTERS.  37 

were  studded  with  diamonds.  He  wore  a  red  tarboosh, 
and  the  long  blue  tassel  was  fastened  to  the  cap  with 
an  immense  diamond.  His  saddle  cloth  was  of  velvet, 
embroidered  with  gold,  and  the  horse  was  perfect. 

Each  band  stopped  as  he  passed  by  it,  and  not  a  cheer 
was  given  or  a  head  uncovered,  except  those  of  our  own 
party,  nor  the  slightest  symptom  of  enthusiasm  or  affec- 
tion manifested.  Just  as  he  passed  us,  a  woman  who 
stood  near  me,  waved  a  petition,  (at  least,  I  supposed  it 
was  one,)  and  immediately  an  officer,  walking  behind 
the  Sultan,  stepped  up,  and  taking  it  from  her,  placed 
it  in  a  large  portfolio  which  he  carried. 

Once  more  in  our  caique,  we  went  back  to  Tophana, 
and  landing,  walked  to  a  small  mosque  of  the  Dervishes, 
where  we  hoped  to  see  one  of  their  dancing  perform- 
ances, but  contrary  to  the  usual  custom,  none  took 
place  that  day,  and  we  were  told  there  would  be  none  till 
the  next  Sunday ;  but  as  we  did  not  want  to  go  then, 
we  have  not  yet  seen  them. 

It  was  Friday,  and  "  all  the  world"  goes  to  the 
"  sweet  waters"  on  that  day  of  the  week,  so  we,  not  to 
be  behind  the  times,  went  too.  Passing  through  the 
immense  shipping  in  the  harbor,  we  went  under  the 
bridge,  and  were  soon  darting  away  towards  the  tip  of  the 
Golden  Horn,  through  a  large  fleet  of  ships  and  vessels 
of  different  sizes,  Constantinople  lying  on  our  left,  Pera, 
Galata  and  smaller  suburbs  on  our  right.  Indeed,  I 
scarcely  knew  when  the  cities  ended,  for  almost  a  con- 
tinued line  of  villages  extended  for  several  miles  up  the 
Horn.  Barracks  and  hospitals,  and  a  marine  college, 
and  the  arsenal,  and  Turkish  men-of-war,  and  Jews' 
and  Armenian  quarters,  all  were  passed,  and  then  we 
came  to  green  fields  coming  down  to  the  water's  edge, 


38  LETTERS. 

and  now  and  then  a  cafe,  or  an  imperial  kiosk,  which  is 
a  small  summer  palace.  And  then  the  Horn  narrowed, 
and  we  found  ourselves  soon  after  almost  hemmed  in 
by  the  banks,  and  shaded  by  large  trees,  and  we  knew 
we  were  on  the  little  river  that  runs  into  the  Golden 
Horn.  It  is  this  river  of  fresh  water  that  gives  the  name 
to  this  valley,  of  the  "  sweet  water,"  "  sweet"  being 
always  used  in  the  East  in  contradistinction  to  salt. 
Judging  from  the  thick,  muddy  looking  stream,  I  should 
call  the  water  any  thing  but  "  sweet." 

Long  before  we  reached  our  stopping  place,  we  passed 
caiques  in  countless  numbers,  moored  to  the  banks, 
while  along  the  shore  were  scattered  groups  of  men  and 
women,  some  walking,  some  standing,  and  some  seated 
on  carpets  and  matting  under  the  trees.  We  passed  a 
beautiful  little  palace,  directly  on  the  bank,  and  a  num- 
ber of  horses,  standing  near,  Constantine  told  us  the 
Sultan  had  come  up,  and  was  undoubtedly  looking  out 
through  the  blinds,  and  recommended  us  to  lower  our 
umbrellas,  as  we  passed,  as  a  token  of  respect  to  his 
Majesty,  but  before  we  could  possibly  have  closed  the 
umbrellas,  our  caique  had  darted  by. 

I  had  heard  this  valley  so  much  praised,  I  must  con- 
fess my  first  impression  fell  far  below  the  idea  I  had 
conceived  of  it ;  but  as  we  went  farther  up  the  valley, 
it  became  more  and  more  lovely,  till  I  was  forced  to 
confess  its  beauties  had  not  been  overrated.  The  stream 
flowed  quickly  on,  through  willow  shaded  banks,  and 
the  valley  was  thickly  studded  with  large  trees,  and  the 
hills  swept  down  and  then  rolled  away,  revealing  pictur- 
esque glens,  and  wooded  dells,  and  romantic  ravines. 

But  no  words  can  describe  the  gay  scene  this  valley 
presented.  We  did  not  then  know,  that  during  the 


LETTERS.  39 

Ramazan,  the  Turks  do  not  visit  this  lovely  spot,  else 
we  might,  in  a  measure,  have  accounted  for  the  exces- 
sive brilliancy  and  animation  of  the  whole,  as  this 
would  be  the  last  visit  for  a  month.  Families  sitting  on 
the  grass,  enjoying  a  pic-nic,  carriages  rolling  by,  filled 
with  Turkish  women,  many  of  whom  seemed  to  have 
no  idea  of  any  thing  but  looking  at  themselves  in  a  little 
hand  mirror,  Europeans  dashing  by  on  horseback,  and 
staring  at  the  faces  covered  with  the  "  yashmacks," 
strolling  bands  of  musicians  playing  various  airs,  a 
company  of  Gipsies  dancing  an  Arab  dance,  accompa- 
nying it  with  their  voices,  (carrying  us  back  at  once  -to 
the  Nile,)  beggars,  uttering  in  doleful  notes  their  peti- 
tions for  charity,  sellers  of  fruit  and  pastry  and  confec- 
tionary, and  sherbet,  and  so-called  ice  cream,  these  and 
a  thousand  other  things,  kept  our  attention  constantly 
alive.  The  diligence  with  which  the  black  slaves 
guarded  the  mistresses  confided  to  their  care,  the  co- 
quettish airs  which  the  young  Turkish  women  practiced 
when  they  saw  a  foreigner  approaching,  the  "  arabas" 
and  other  carriages  decked  with  gilding,  the  endless 
variety  of  costumes,  the  children  playing  on  the  grass, 
all  formed  pictures  exceedingly  attractive  to  the  eye. 

We  noticed  that  the  plain  and  old  women  wore  yash- 
macks made  of  thick  muslin,  while  those  of  the  younger 
and  more  beautiful  class  were  so  transparent  as  to  allow 
every  feature  of  the  face  to  be  distinctly  seen,  and  in- 
stead of  concealing  charms,  I  am  sure  they  added  to 
them.  It  is  a  well-known  fact,  that  the  Turkish  women 
(the  handsome  ones,  I  mean,)  paint,  and  this  artificial 
complexion  is  seen  to  much  better  advantage,  through 
a  thin  covering  of  white  muslin  than  without  such  a  veil. 
They  not  only  paint  red  and  white,  but  black  also,  that 


40  LETTERS. 

is,  they  dye  the  rims  of  their  eyes  with  kohl,  which 
serves  to  give  a  peculiarly  beautiful  appearance  to  the 
eyes  themselves.  "Without  doubt,  the  eyes  of  many  of 
the  Turkish  women,  are  among  the  finest  in  the  world, 
but  it  is  the  beauty  of  form  and  color,  while  that  of  the 
mind,  the  heart,  the  soul,  seems  wanting. 

No  !  let  Turkish  women  look  to  it ;  the  day  they  leave 
off  their  "  yashmacks,"  they  will  find  their  beauty  has 
lost  half  its  charms.  The  women  here  almost  univer- 
sally have  bad  figures,  and  without  any  exception,  they 
are  the  worst  walkers  I  ever  saw.  It  is  almost  impos- 
sible to  find  of  what  materials  their  dress  is  composed, 
so  closely  do  they  keep  those  hideous  cloaks  wrapped 
around  them,  but  on  standing  near  a  group  that  day, 
when  no  gentlemen  were  by,  one  of  them  put  back  her 
cloak  to  arrange  some  part  of  her  dress,  or  perhaps  from 
a  pardonable  vanity  to  show  me  it  was  not  from  neces- 
sity the  cloak  was  so  carefully  kept  around'  her,  and  I 
found  she  wore  a  figured  muslin  gown,  exceedingly 
short-waisted,  very  open  in  front,  displaying  her  neck 
and  chest,  and  full  trousers  gathered  around  the  ankle. 
Their  feet  always  look  clumsy,  for  I  scarcely  think  the 
foot  of  a  fairy  would  look  well  in  those  ungainly  boots 
and  slip-shod  shoes. 

We  tried  to  form  some  idea  of  the  numbers  of  the  peo- 
ple upon  the  ground,  though  of  course  there  was  no  way 
by  which  we  could  come  to  any  accurate  conclusion, 
but  Yankee-like,  we  could  guess,  and  our  guesses  varied 
from  five  to  eight  thousand.  Our  return  down  the 
Golden  Horn  was  like  a  procession  of  boats,  for  the 
water  was  actually  covered  with  caiques.  We  passed  a 
cafe"  surrounded  by  a  garden,  and  there  we  saw  a  large 
.number  of  Greek  and  Armenian  women.  These,  we 


LETTERS.  41 

are  told,  flock  to  the  "  sweet  waters"  on  Sunday,  not 
mingling  there  with  the  Turks  on  Friday. 

About  half  way  down  the  Horn,  we  stopped  to  visit 
the  cemetery  near  the  mosque  of  Eyoub,  not  that  there 
was  any  thing  particularly  interesting  about  the  cemete- 
ry itself,  but  the  view  from  the  top  of  the  hill  was  very 
fine,  commanding  the  whole  length  of  the  Horn,  and 
far  up  the  "  Valley  of  Sweet  Waters."  What  a  con- 
trast was  this  cemetery,  with  its  tall  cypress  trees,  and 
turbaned  head  stones,  to  that  of  the  Jews,  upon  the 
opposite  side  of  the  Horn,  which  looks  like  a  barren, 
stony  field,  the  grave-stones  being  laid  upon  the  surface 
of  the  earth,  without  any  regularity,  and  without  a  tree, 
or  shrub  or  flower  to  soften  the  scene.  Alas !  for  the 
poor  Jews ;  outcasts  in  life,  from  all  the  human  race, 
they  are  not  allowed,  in  death  to  lie  near  a  Christian  or 
Mussulman !  The  mosque  of  Eyoub  is  large  and  hand- 
some, but  within  its  courts  no  Christian  foot  is  ever 
permitted  to  tread,  for  in  addition  to  its  other  points 
of  sacredness,  every  Sultan,  on  his  accession  to  the 
throne,  is  here  invested  with  the  sword  of  sovereignty. 
Within  the  enclosure  of  the  mosque,  is  the  most  beau- 
tiful place  of  burial,  I  have  yet  seen  in  Turkey,  for  be- 
sides the  cypress,  roses  cluster  over  every  grave,  and 
almost  conceal  every  head-stone.  White  and  fresh  too, 
the  stones  look,  and  gay  withal,  many  of  them  having 
inscriptions  in  gold.  Here  too,  none  but  those  of  dis- 
tinguished birth  in  the  empire  are  buried,  and  of  course, 
we  were  not  allowed  to  step  upon  the  hallowed  ground, 
but  through  the  bars  of  the  windows  in  the  wall  around 
the  outer  court,  we  looked,  and  saw  many  a  pretty  little 
picture.  I  believe  I  told  you  before,  the  turban  or  tar- 
boosh indicates  the  grave  of  a  man,  while  a  plain  stone, 


42  LETTERS. 

or  one  with  a  sculptured  rose  branch  upon  it,  points  out 
that  of  a  woman.  The  turban  varies  in  form  and  size, 
according  to  the  rank  of  the  deceased,  but  as  all  the 
inscriptions  are  in  Turkish  characters,  we  are  no  judges 
how  applicable  to  the  Turks  is  the  proverb,  that  "  tomb- 
stones lie." 

As  we  were  coming  down  the  hill,  we  met  the  gay 
arabas,  full  of  Turkish  women,  coming  home  from  the 
"  sweet  waters."  They  were  riding  in  more  silence  than 
would  have  been  known,  I  dare  say,  among  a  like  party  of 
Americans  or  English  ;  but  whether  the  Turkish  women 
are  no  great  talkers,  ("  unlike  the  rest  of  the  sex,"  per- 
haps you  say,)  or  whether  their  yashmacks,  bound  so 
tightly  around  their  noses  and  mouths,  prevent  their 
talking,  I  cannot  say. 

We  came  home  very  hungry  and  tired,  but  as  we 
never  dined  at  the  Hotel  de  Byzance  till  seven  o'clock, 
I  had  time  to  rest  a  little  before  dinner. 

And  now  I  think  I  have  given  you  enough  for  one 
letter,  so  I  will  reserve  the  remainder  of  our  excursions 
about  Constantinople  till  another  time. 


LETTER    L. 

The  Seraglio. — Sublime  Porte. — Church  of  St.  Irene.— Visit  to  the 
Mosques. — St.  Sophia. — Sultan  Achmet. — Sultan  Mahmoud. — Sultan 
Sulyman. 

BUYUKDEKE,  June  3d. 
MY  DEAR  FRIENDS  : 

We  are  still  here  in  our  quiet  retreat,  and  are  becom- 
ing daily  more  and  more  delighted  with  it.  Here, 
calmly  and  quietly,  I  have  passed  a  few  days,  writing 


LETTERS.  43 

several  hours  a  day,  trying  to  bring  up  that  tardy  jour- 
nal of  mine.  And  now  I  will  finish  my  record  of  sight- 
seeing in  Constantinople.  Last  Saturday,  a  party  of 
about  twenty,  French,  English  and  Americans,  went  to 
visit  the  mosques  of  Stamboul,  for  which  it  is  necessary 
to  have  a  firman  from  government.  The  French  party 
attended  to  getting  the  firman,  so  we  had  nothing  to 
do,  but  to  pay  our  share  of  the  expenses,  which  was 
fifteen  francs  apiece,  (three  dollars,)  rather  an  expen- 
sive, excursion  for  one  day. 

Knowing  we  should  not  be  allowed  to  wear  in  the 
mosques  the  boots  or  shoes  we  had  been  walking  in,  and 
as  it  is  no  easy  thing  to  lace  and  unlace  boots  a  half 
dozen  times  in  a  few  hours,  I  wore  shoes  that  I  could 
put  on  and  off  easily,  and  took  a  pair  of  slippers  to 
wear  in  the  mosques,  marble  floors  not  being  very 
agreeable  to  feet  encased  merely  in  stockings. 

To  avoid  the  long  walk  over  the  bridge,  we  rowed 
over  to  Seraglio  Point,  which  juts  out  into  the  Marmora 
on  the  one  side,  and  the  Bosphorus  on  the  other.  We 
walked  through  a  labyrinth  of  courts  and  gardens  and 
rooms,  and  I  must  confess  in  all,  except  the  gardens,  I 
was  disappointed.  With  the  exception  of  a  corridor 
running  round  one  of  the  courts,  paved  with  marble,  and 
supported  by  rare  pillars,  and  a  bath  room,  an  exquisite 
gem,  lined  with  rich  marble,  I  saw  but  little  marble, 
the  staircases  being  of  wood,  and  the  floors  also,  or  at 
least,  all  that  we  saw,  a  few  rooms  being  covered  with 
straw  matting.  Divans  and  chairs  covered  with  satin, 
silk  or  damask,  were  in  all  the  rooms,  but  neither  the 
furniture  nor  the  palace  itself  could  begin  to  compare 
with  palaces  we  saw  in  Egypt.  We  passed  through  a 
long  gallery,  with  closely  latticed  windows,  through 


44  LETTERS. 

which  the  ladies  of  the  palace  formerly  looked  down 
upon  a  court  below,  to  witness  games  and  feats  of 
strength.  In  one  of  the  courts  we  saw  a  marble  column, 
about  seventy  feet  high,  with  a  beautiful  Corinthian 
capital,  and  in  this  court,  or  another  one,  I  have  forgot- 
ten which,  a  magnificent  sycamore  tree,  measuring 
thirty-seven  feet  around  the  trunk. 

The  buildings  and  grounds  of  the  Seraglio  cover 
about  three  miles,  and  the  palace,  or  rather  succession 
of  palaces,  is  sufficiently  large  to  accommodate  four 
thousand  retainers,  besides  the  women,  the  last  by  no 
means  an  unimportant  item  in  the  palace  of  the  Sultan. 
The  kitchens  occupy  one  side  of  a  court,  and  are  im- 
mense rooms,  surmounted  by  ten  domes.  Report  says 
the  Turks  are  exceedingly  fend  of  good  living,  and  that 
the  women  consume  unheard-of  quantities  of  candies 
and  sweetmeats,  more  than  two  thousand  pounds  of 
sugar  being  daily  used  in  the  kitchen  of  the  womens' 
apartments  belonging  to  the  royal  family. 

The  gate  leading  to  the  first  court  from  the  city,  is 
called  the  imperial  gate,  or  the  Sublime  Porte,  which 
gives  name  to  the  Ottoman  court.  Over  it  is  an  inscrip- 
tion in  Arabic,  and  as  I  never  before  saw  a  translation 
of  it,  and  you  may  be  in  equal  ignorance,  I  copy  this 
from  an  excellent  work  on  Turkey,  by  Admiral  Slade. 
"  By  the  assistance  of  God,  and  his  good  pleasure,  the 
lord  of  the  two  continents  and  seas,  the  shadow  of  God 
among  men  and  among  angels ;  the  favorite  of  God  in 
the  East  and  in  the  West ;  the  monarch  of  the  terra- 
queous globe  ;  the  conqueror  of  the  city  of  Constanti- 
nople, that  is,  the.  victorious  Emperor  Mehemet,  son  of 
the  Emperor  Amurath,  and  grandson  of  the  Emperor 
Mehemet,  laid  the  foundation  of  this  august  building, 


LETTERS.  45 

united  the  parts  solidly  together,  for  the  preservation  of 
quiet  and  tranquility.  May  the  Almighty  perpetuate 
his  empire,  and  exalt  it  above  the  lucid  stars  of  the 
firmament." 

The  charm  of  the  Seraglio,  to  me,  was  its  terraced 
gardens,  and  the  lovely  views  of  the  Marmora,  the  Bos- 
phorus,  and  the  Golden  Horn.  I  am  never  wearied 
with  looking  out  upon  this  varying  scene,  and  I  eagerly 
seize  every  opportunity  of  viewing  it  to  the  best  advan- 
tage. The  ancient  church  of  St.  Irene,  just  beyond  the 
Seraglio,  is  now  used  as  a  place  of  deposit  for  arms,  and 
here  we  found  specimens  of  almost  every  date  and  kind, 
from  a  full  suit  of  ar,mor,  down  to  a  gun,  sword  and 
pistol.  Above  the  great  altar,  in  a  glass  case,  are  the 
keys  of  every  town  in  Turkey,  and  on  the  walls  hang 
the  swords  of  vanquished  kings  and  princes.  The 
massive  arches  and  heavy  galleries,  the  small  semicir- 
cular windows,  high  up  in  the  thick  walls,  give  you  a 
good  idea  of  ancient  Byzantine  architecture. 

Not  far  from  the  Seraglio,  is  the  venerable  pile  of  St. 
Sophia,  whose  "  gleaming  dome"  and  gilded  crescent, 
and  "  sky-piercing  minarets,"  make  it  a  conspicuous 
object  from  any  part  of  Constantinople  and  its  environs. 
It  was  the  hour  for  the  midday  prayers,  and  as,  for  some 
reason  or  other,  we  were  obliged  to  wait  some  time  be- 
fore the  entrance  to  the  mosque,  I  sat  down  upon  a  stone 
seat,  and  saw  the  bearded  Turk,  and  the  young  boy, 
stop  at  the  fountain  opposite  to  me,  and  wash  their  face 
and  neck  and  feet,  before  going  into  the  temple  of  their 
God,  and  then,  tired  of  looking  and  waiting,  I  opened 
my  note  book,  and  was  soon  absorbed  in  my  writing. 
Suddenly  the  light  was  obscured,  and  on  looking  up,  I 
saw  a  crowd  of  men  and  boys  around  me,  gazing  in  won- 


46  LETTERS. 

der  at  the  closely  written  page  before  me.  As  I  knew 
not  one  of  them  could  read  what  I  was  writing,  I  wrote 
on,  not  at  all  disturbed  by  their  presence,  till  the  sum- 
mons came  for  us  to  go  into  the  mosque.  As  the  Ra- 
mazan  had  just  commenced,  the  mosque  was  more 
than  usually  full,  and  from  different  parts  the  priests 
were  expounding  the  Koran.  Quite  a  crowd  assembled 
round  some  favorite  preacher,  while  another  at  a 
little  distance  seemed  to  be  speaking  in  vain,  so  few 
listeners  had  he.  Here,  a  number  of  men  were  pros- 
trating themselves,  and  going  through  their  stated  de- 
votions, and  there  a  knot  of  boys  were  rocking  them- 
selves backward  and  forward,  reciting  passages  of  the 
Koran  in  a  sing-song  tone,  while  here  and  there  a  group 
of  merry  little  children  were  playing  and  bounding 
about,  and  even  turning  somersets  on  the  floor.  Women 
are  rarely  seen  in  a  mosque,  but  perhaps  they  pray  at 
home.  Men  may  traffic  and  gossip  in  the  mosques,  and 
even  pursue  their  different  vocations,  for  I  saw  several 
sewing,  making  a  "  comforter"  for  a  bed,  and  children 
may  play  and  gambol  round ;  but  the  presence  of  a 
Christian  pollutes  the  sanctuary ! 

We  were  led  at  first  to  the  wide  gallery  that  runs 
around  the  interior  of  the  mosque,  and  there  we  stood 
a  long  time,  gazing  at  the  groups  below,  or  looking 
round  upon  the  vast  edifice  in  which  we  were.  I  can- 
not say  St.  Sophia  struck  me  so  very  forcibly  with  the 
idea  of  its  magnificence  or  vastness,  for  in  this  respect 
its  effect  is  nothing  compared  with  St.  Peter's,  at  Rome, 
the  Cathedral  at  Milan,  or  the  venerable  Minster  at 
York ;  but  the  associations  of  St.  Sophia  render  it 
deeply  and  painfully  interesting,  for  consecrated  once 


LETTERS.  47 

to  the  worship  of  the  living  God,  it  now  bears  aloft  the 
crescent  instead  of  the  cross. 

It  was  built  by  Justinian,  and  consecrated  on  Christ- 
mas eve,  538,  to  the  "  Divine  "Wisdom,"  the  second 
Person  in  the  ever  adorable  Trinity.  Sixteen  years 
were  occupied  in  its  erection,  and  its  consecration  was 
accompanied  with  the  slaughter  of  one  thousand  oxen, 
one  thousand  sheep,  one  thousand  pigs,  six  hundred 
deer,  ten  thousand  chickens,  and  a  distribution  of  thirty 
thousand  measures  of  corn  to  the  poor.  When  every 
thing  was  in  readiness  for  the  consecration,  the  Emperor, 
accompanied  by  the  Patriarch  Eutychius,  came  to  the 
great  door  of  the  church,  where  suddenly  leaving  the 
venerable  priest,  he  ran  to  the  altar,  and  eagerly  em- 
bracing it,  exclaimed,  "  God  be  praised,  who  hath  es- 
teemed me  worthy  to  complete  such  a  work  !  Oh,  Sol- 
omon, I  have  surpassed  thee !" 

All  that  was  venerable  in  the  old  religions  of  the 
world  was  brought  here  to  do  honor  to  this  magnificent 
temple,  porphyry  pillars  from  the  great  temple  of  the 
Sun,  columns  of  verd-antique  from  the  celebrated  tem- 
ple of  Diana  of  the  Ephesians,  and  pillars  from  the 
Acropolis  in  Athens,  from  the  temple  of  Osiris  and  Isis 
in  Egypt,  and  from  that  of  Apollo  at  Delos. 

For  nearly  a  thousand  years,  Santa  Sophia  was  used 
for  the  worship  of  the  Most  High  God,  but  then  a 
change  came.  Upon  the  fall  of  Constantinople,  in  1453, 
thousands  of  Christians  took  refuge  in  the  church. 
There  they  were  pursued  by  the  conquering  Moslems, 
who  were  commencing  a  general  massacre,  intending 
afterwards  to  demolish  the  sacred  edifice,  when  Moham- 
med the  Second  entered  on  horseback,  rode  up  to  the 
great  altar,  and  there  dismounted.  Ascending  the  steps 


48  LETTERS. 

of  the  altar,  he  proclaimed  that  the  church  of  Jesus  Christ 
should  henceforth  be  sacred  to  the  Prophet.  The  pic- 
tures were  torn  from  the  walls,  the  pulpit  was  over- 
thrown, the  altar  removed,  and  the  rich  mosaics  that 
lined  the  dome  daubed  over  with  paint  or  with  gilding. 
Over  the  altar,  there  was  an  image  of  Christ  in  mosaic, 
with  a  halo  around  the  head,  and  even  now,  by  gazing 
very  intently,  one  can  distinctly  trace  the  whole  figure 
through  the  gilding  that  covers  it. 

The  dome  rises  up  two  hundred  feet  from  the  pave- 
ment, and  the  effect  is  very  fine,  as  you  stand  in  one  of 
the  galleries,  looking  up  to  the  very  top  of  the  dome, 
and  then  down  upon  the  area  below,  over  which  the 
light,  falling  through  stained  glass,  plays  beautifully. 
We  afterwards  walked  through  the  lower  part  of  the 
edifice,  between  groups  of  men  still  on  the  floor  at  their 
devotions,  or  reading  very  rapidly  and  monotonously 
from  the  Koran,  while  the  preaching  was  going  on  in 
a  half  dozen  different  parts  of  the  mosque.  Not  the 
least  striking  feature  of  the  scene,  was  the  man  follow- 
ing us,  who  carried  the  boots  and  shoes  of  the  whole 
party  slung  over  his  shoulder,  looking  precisely  like  a 
peddler  of  second-hand  boots  and  shoes. 

Our  next  visit  was  to  the  mosque  of  Sultan  Achmet, 
which  stands,  as  I  told  you  before,  on  one  side  of  the 
Hippodrome.  The  only  thing  to  break  the  interior  of 
this  large  mosque,  is  four  immense  pillars  of  white 
marble,  that  support  the  dome.  White  pillars,  white 
floor,  white  walls,  varied  here  and  there  with  characters 
inscribed  in  gold  on  them,  give  an  impression  of  purity 
and  grandeur  that  a  mosque  of  itself  is  not  calculated 
to  inspire,  for  beautiful  as  the  building  may  be,  you 


LETTERS.  49 

cannot  divest  your  mind  of  the  fact  it  is  erected  to  a 
false  religion. 

The  principal  characteristic  of  the  mosque  of  Sultan 
Achmet  is  its  six  minarets,  no  other  mosque  in  the  em- 
pire having  more  than  four.  He  wished  to  build  a 
mosque  that  would  excel  all  others  in  beauty,  and  to 
effect  this,  he  intended  to  give  it  six  minarets.  But  the 
mufti,  whose  consent  was  necessary  for  the  completion 
of  this  design,  refused  to  sanction  it,  on  the  plea  that 
the  most  holy  of  all  the  mosques,  that  at  Mecca,  had 
but  four  minarets.  The  Sultan  maintained  there  were 
six,  and  the  mufti  then  proposed  that  a  caravan  of  pil- 
grims should  be  dispatched  immediately  to  Mecca,  to 
settle  the  question.  The  Sultan  joyfully  agreed,  taking 
the  precaution  to  send  a  swift  courier  before  to  order 
two  extra  minarets  to  be  immediately  erected,  so  when 
the  pilgrims  arrived,  behold  six  minarets  adorned  the 
holy  mosque.  Achmet  was  no  longer  denied  permis- 
sion to  erect  the  six  minarets,  and  when  his  mosque 
was  completed,  orders  were  sent  to  Mecca  to  take  down 
the  two  new  minarets,  and  the  mosque  of  Sultan  Ach- 
met stands,  therefore,  without  a  rival  in  the  Ottoman 
•  empire,  in  its  number  of  minarets. 

Willis,  in  his  sprightly  narrative  of  a  "  Summer 
Cruise  in  the  Mediterranean,"  compares  a  minaret  to 
an  ever-pointed  pencil-case,  the  bands  around  it  answer- 
ing to  the  encircling  galleries,  one  above  another,  from 
which  the  muezzin  calls  out  the  hour  of  prayer.  The 
minarets  are  always  of  a  dazzling  white,  the  galleries 
encircling  them  are  richly  cut  in  fretwork,  and  rising 
to  a  height  often  of  two  or  three  hundred  feet,  they 
seem  to  pierce  the  very  sky.  Each  of  the  seven  hills 
on  which  Constantinople  is  built,  is  crowned  with  a 
4 


50  LETTERS. 

• 

mosque,  each  having  one  large  dome  and  a  number  of 
small  ones,  and  from  two  to  six  minarets.  Elevated 
.above  the  mass  of  the  surrounding  houses,  the  gilded 
crescents  flashing  in  the  sun,  the  domes  swelling  out  in 
their  perfect  proportions,  the  slender  minarets  rising  up 
so  gracefully,  these  mosques  form  the  most  prominent 
feature  of  Constantinople,  and  are  seen  from  every  point 
of  view. 

Once  more  we  put  off  our  shoes,  and  entered  the 
mosque,  or  mausoleum  of  the  late  Sultan  Mahmoud, 
an  exquisite  little  gem  of  white  marble,  adorned  with 
elaborate  carvings  and  fretwork.  Here  repose  the  re- 
mains of  Mahmoud  himself,  and  several  members  of  his 
family,  each  tomb  made  somewhat  in  the  shape  of  an 
ark,  higher  and  larger  at  the  head  than  the  foot,  and 
having  a  steep  roof,  and  over  these  were  thrown  rich 
cachemere  shawls,  the  possession  of  any  one  of  which 
would  have  thrown  a  New  York  belle  into  ecstasies. 
Stands  of  precious  woods,  inlaid  with  pearl  and  shell, 
silver  and  gold,  support  beautifully  written  and  deco- 
rated copies  of  the  Koran,  and  these  are  scattered  in 
profusion  around  the  tombs. 

By  the  time  we  had  finished  our  survey  of  this  mosque,* 
we  were  very  tired,  and  finding  the  mosque  of  Sultan 
Sulyman  was  a  long  distance  off,  we  voted  to  give  up 
seeing  it,  as  one  mosque,  in  architectural  design  and 
finish,  differs  but  little  from  another.  I  have  since  re- 
gretted this  decision,  for  I  have  been  told  that  was  the 
most  magnificent  of  all  the  mosques. 

A  few  words  on  mosques  in  general,  and  then  I  will 
have  done  with  the  subject.  As  I  have  said  more  than 
once,  each  mosque  is  distinguished  by  a  principal  centre 
dome,  and  this  is  generally  supported  by  two  or  more 


LETTERS.  51 

semi-domes  at  its  base,  and  a  greater  or  less  number  of 
small  domes  or  cupolas  over  the  angles  of  the  building, 
and  the  arches  of  the  corridors  running  around  the 
court.  Thus  an  imperial  mosque  is  a  vast  edifice,  two 
or  three  hundred  feet  square,  having  a  mountain  of 
cupolas  and  domes,  varying  in  size,  the  centre  one,  like 
a  large  half  globe,  crowning  the  whole.  These  are 
relieved  by  round  or  narrow  windows,  adorned  by  deli- 
cate tracery  and  fretwork,  cut  in  stone,  and  these  win- 
dows, illuminated  now  in  the  Ramazan,  present  a 
beautiful  sight,  gleaming  with  myriads  of  lamps,  ar- 
ranged to  form  Turkish  characters.  To  give  you  some 
idea  of  the  number  of  these  domes  and  cupolas,  I  will 
just  say  the  mosque  of  Sultan  Achmet  alone  has  more 
than  thirty. 

Adjoining  every  mosque,  is  a  large  court,  several 
hundred  feet  square,  around  the  sides  of  which  in  the 
interior,  run  open  arcades,  supported  often  by  pillars  of 
precious  marbles,  the  remains  of  the  former  glory  and 
beauty  of  the  ancient  city,  many  of  them  having  been 
taken  from  Christian  temples.  In  the  centre  of  the 
court,  is  a  marble  fountain,  with  a  beautiful  stone  cano- 
py ;  and  here  the  Moslem  stops  to  wash  before  entering 
the  mosque  to  pray.  Sometimes  beautiful  trees  adorn 
these  courts,  and  hundreds  of  pigeons  flutter  around 
the  branches,  fed  at  stated  times  each  day  by  private 
bounty,  a  sum  having  been  left  for  this  purpose  by  some 
pious  individuals. 

Tired  as  I  was,  I  could  not  resist  the  temptation  of 
strolling  through  some  of  the  bazaars,  but  I  found  their 
aspect  very  different  during  the  Ramazan  from  what  it 
was  before.  Many  of  the  Turkish  bazaars  were  closed, 


52  LETTERS. 

and  the  Turks  we  saw  were  no  longer  smoking,  but 
lounging  on  their  little  counters,  most  of  them  asleep. 
I  really  cannot  write  another  word  except  "  good  bye." 


LETTER    LI. 

English  Church. — Beauties  of  the  Bosphorus. — Castles  of  Asia  and  Eu- 
rope.— Black  Sea. — The  Sultan. — American  Minister. — Life  at  Buyuk- 
dere. — Sweet  Waters  of  Asia. — Letters  from  Home. 

BOYUKDEBE,  June  4th. 
MY  DEAREST  FRIENDS  : 

Still  in  our  delightful  retreat  and  beautiful  valley,  for 
the  meaning  of  the  long  word  at  the  beginning  of  my 
letter,  (pronounced  Bu-yuk-de-re,)  is  "  great  valley." 
I  have  not  yet  finished  my  record  of  the  past,  so  I  once 
more  go  back.  Last  Sunday,  we  enjoyed  the  rare  priv- 
ilege of  going  to  church  twice,  a  pleasure  we  have  not 
known  since  we  were  in  Alexandria.  The  services  are 
held  in  a  chapel  in  the  palace  of  the  English  ambassa- 
dor in  Pera,  the  church  having  been  recently  burnt  to 
the  ground.  Owing  to  the  great  number  of  English  at 
present  here,  on  account  of  the  war,  the  chapel  was 
crowded,  and  to  an  eye  accustomed  to  the  every  day 
attire  of  sober  citizens,  the  officers  in  their  scarlet  uni- 
forms presented  rather  a  strange  sight.  "  The  panoply 
of  war,"  and  the  service  of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  how 
incongruous  it  seems,  and  yet  may  not  good  Christians 
be  good  soldiers,  and  vice  versa  ? 

On  Monday,  Mr.  F.,  J.  and  myself  took  a  four-oared 
caique,  and  came  to  Buyukdere,  to  complete  our  ar- 
rangements about  coming  here  for  an  interval  of  rest. 
Every  body  has  heard  of  the  beauties  of  the  Bosphorus, 


LETTERS.  53 

and  although  I  had  formed  a  high  idea  of  them,  I  am 
ready  to  confess  I  was  not  at  all  disappointed.  In  fact, 
I  do  not  see  how  the  lover  of  the  picturesque  and  beau- 
tiful can  be,  for  from  Constantinople  up  the  whole  length 
of  the  Bosphorus,  there  is  every  thing  to  feast  the  eye. 
Twenty-six  villages  skirt  the  banks  of  these  charming 
straits,  ten  on  the  Asiatic  side,  sixteen  on  the  European. 
In  Asia,  they  are  scattering,  green  fields  and  wooded 
delis  often  coming  down  to  the  very  water's  edge.  On 
the  European  side,  the  villages  lie  closer  together ;  in 
fact,  it  is  difficult  to  tell  where  one  leaves  off  and  an- 
other begins.  On  both  sides,  the  hills  come  down  very 
near  the  water,  so  that  the  villages  lie  in  a  narrow  val- 
ley, and  stretch  up  the  hillside.  With  the  exception  of 
a  few  palaces,  and  the  mosques,  the  houses  are  of  wood, 
but  totally  unlike  what  you  would  find  in  any  other 
quarter  of  the  globe.  Fantastic  in  shape,  picturesque 
in  coloring,  many  of  them  set  in  a  framework  of  green 
trees  and  brilliant  flowers,  backed  by  rolling  hills,  they 
present  a  constant  succession  of  charming  pictures. 
Palaces  innumerable,  belonging  to  the  Sultan  and  differ- 
ent members  of  the  Imperial  family,  to  Pashas  and 
Beys  and  other  dignitaries  of  state,  their  closely  lat- 
ticed windows,  telling  of  treasures  within,  not  to  be 
seen  by  every  eye,  mosques,  with  their  graceful  mina- 
rets, forts,  with  their  formidable  looking  cannon,  ceme- 
teries, with  their  tall  cypresses  and  white  stones,  gardens, 
with  their  rich  foliage  and  beautiful  flowers,  ships  and 
steamers  lying  almost  under  the  projecting  roofs  of  some 
of  the  palaces  and  houses,  caiques  darting  along  under 
the  shade  of  balconies  and  lattices,  the  hills,  some 
wooded,  some  covered  with  waving  grass  and  ripening 
grain,  many  of  them  crowned  with  a  kiosk,  (summer 


54  LETTERS. 

palace,)  a  castle,  or  a  fort,  or  a  country  seat,  luxuriant 
valleys  opening  up  through  the  hills,  sunny  glades, 
wooded  dells,  wild  ravines,  these,  and  a  hundred  similar 
objects  of  interest,  keep  one's  attention  alive,  every 
time  the  passage  of  the  Bosphorus  is  made. 

On  the  European  side,  are  two  of  the  most  beautiful 
mosques  I  have  ever  seen.  They  are  built  of  marble 
of  a  dazzling  whiteness,  and  are  adorned  with  carvings 
and  fretwork.  The  swelling  dome,  the  two  slender 
minarets,  the  dazzling  brilliancy  of  the  marble,  make 
them  perfect  little  gems  ;  indeed,  I  call  them  "  the  two 
gems  of  the  Bosphorus." 

And  then  the  winding  of  the  Bosphorus,  its  beautiful 
little  curves  and  graceful  bends,  give  it  a  peculiar  charm. 
Tiny  bays  and  projecting  promontories  chase  each  other 
in  quick  succession.  There  is  no  tide,  and  often  the 
houses  rise  directly  from  the  water,  while  in  other  places 
a  wide  foot-path  runs  along  in  front.  The  current  is 
rapid,  and  sets  swiftly  down  from  the  Black  Sea,  so  that 
in  three  places  the  caique  was  pulled  up  by  a  man,  who 
ran  along  the  bank,  with  a  large  rope  fastened  around 
one  of  the  benches  for  the  rowers,  and  the  other  end 
thrown  over  his  shoulder,  and  his  efforts  to  stem  the 
powerful  current,  called  in  one  place  "  the  devil's  cur- 
rent," were  so  great  as  to  make  him  almost  bend  double. 
For  this  immense  physical  exertion,  he  demanded  not 
quite  two  cents  of  our  money. 

About  half  way  between  Constantinople  and  Buyuk- 
dere,  on  opposite  points  of  the  Bosphorus,  stand  the 
castles  of  Asia  and  Europe,  the  former  built  by  Baja- 
zet,  to  control  the  navigation  of  the  straits,  the  latter 
by  his  grandson,  Mahomet,  to  impede  it.  The  latter 
occupies  much  the  most  ground,  and  is  said  to  repre- 


LETTERS.  55 

sent,  in  shape,  the  name  of  Mohammed  in  Arabic  char- 
acters. I  have  not  much  of  an  eye  for  military  fortifica- 
tions, but  I  should  say  these  were  by  no  means  the 
strongest  in  the  world. 

A  very  pretty  feature  to  me,  in  coming  up  the  Bos- 
phorus,  is  to  see  the  little  graves  nestling  beneath  a  tree 
in  some  quiet,  secluded  garden,  in  sight  of  the  windows, 
of  the  house  to  which  the  garden  belongs,  thus  making 
the  living  and  the  dead  seem  side  by  side. 

At  a  sudden  turn,  the  Black  Sea  opens  before  you, 
and  beyond  Buyukdere,  the  villages  become  more  scat- 
tering, the  hills  seem  higher,  and  the  remains  of  one  or 
two  ancient  castles  are  seen  on  some  of  the  most  promi- 
nent summits.  Every  hill  and  every  vale  have  a  ro- 
mantic or  a  historic  legend  connected  with  them,  and 
as,  in  coming  up,  we  rowed  along  the  European  side, 
and  in  returning,  the  Asiatic,  we  had  a  good  opportunity 
to  see  every  point,  every  bay,  every  palace  and  garden,, 
to  the  best  advantage. 

Just  before  we  reached  Pera,  we  saw  the  Sultan's 
caique  going  down  the  Bosphorus.  It  is  painted  white, 
and  adorned  with  gilding  and  carving  to  a  magnificent 
extent.  The  Sultan  reclined  on  the  bottom  of  the 
caique,  under  a  red  umbrella,  held  over  him  by  one  of 
the  high  dignitaries,  and  we  could  not,  therefore,  see 
his  face.  Soldiers  were  drawn  up  on  the  shore  to  re- 
ceive him,  the  imperial  flag  was  flying,  the  officers 
bowed  themselves  to  the  ground  as  he  landed,  a  salute 
was  fired,  and  he  almost  immediately  disappeared  from 
our  sight,  going  into  a  mosque  for  evening  prayers. 

We  spent  all  the  morning  of  Tuesday  in  the  bazaars 
at  Constantinople,  in  search  of  a  shawl,  but  I  found  none 
to  suit,  not  in  quality,  but  in  price.  That  day  we  bade- 


56  LETTERS. 

farewell  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  and  Mr.  F.,  who  have  gone 
to  Greece,  and  now,  for  the  first  time  since  entering 
Egypt,  we  are  without  companions.  But  we  are  not 
without  kind  friends,  however,  for  our  Minister  to  the 
Ottoman  Porte,  Hon.  Carroll  Spence,  and  his  family, 
are  at  this  hotel,  and  they  are  as  kind  and  polite  to  us 
as  though  they  had  known  us  all  our  lives. 

Our  rooms  open  upon  a  wide  balcony  or  terrace,  and 
when  I  am  tired  of  writing,  I  step  out  and  gaze  upon 
the  view  around  me.  In  front,  the  Bosphorus  spreads 
out  like  a  lake,  so  encircled  is  it  by  mountains ;  on  the 
right,  the  lower  part  of  the  bay  of  Buyukdere  sweeps 
round,  and  on  the  left,  at  a  little  distance,  is  the  en- 
trance td  the  Black  Sea,  while  along  the  shore,  stretches 
the  town,  a  wide  street  running  along  the  water's  edge. 
The  evenings  are  delicious ;  the  moon  shedding  a  flood 
of  light  on  bay  and  shore  and  verdant  hill,  and  I  say  a 
hundred  times  a  day,  "  I  never  saw  a  lovelier  sight." 

Last  Tuesday  afternoon  we  arrived  here,  and  took  up 
our  abode  for  the  present,  and  already  the  breeze  from 
the  Euxine,  and  the  still  nights,  have  begun  to  restore 
my  strength  and  spirits.  We  breakfast  at  ten,  and  dine 
at  seven,  and  the  meals  are  good,  and  our  rooms  clean 
and  nice.  Indeed,  we  have  not  been  more  comfortable 
since  we  left  home,  and  if  any  one  knows  how  to  prize 
that  word  "  comfortable,"  it  is  travellers,  particularly 
those  in  the  East.  Yesterday,  we  took  a  caique  and 
rowed  down  to  the  "Valley  of  Sweet  Waters,"  just 
below  the  castle  of  Asia ;  but,  contrary  to  our  expecta- 
tions, we  found  no  one  there.  However,  we  took  a  long 
walk  up  the  valley,  which,  although  beautiful,  will  not 
compare  with  the  "sweet  waters"  of  Europe.  The 
trees  are  large,  the  little  river  winds  gracefully  on, 


LETTERS.  57 

spanned  by  several  bridges,  but  the  grass  is  crisp  and 
dried,  and  looks  as  though  a  shower  would  refresh  it. 

We  went  down  to  Pera  this  morning,  in  a  steamboat, 
attended  church  twice,  and  reached  home  about  seven 
o'clock.  And  what  a  feast  awaited  us  on  our  return ! 
A  package  of  ten  letters !  Ever  since  we  arrived  at 
Pera,  we  had  been  expecting  letters,  and  I  began  to  fear 
the  banker  in  London  had  not  received  the  directions 
to  send  them  here.  But  all  suspense  is  now  at  an  end ; 
the  letters  have  arrived ;  all  at  home  are  well,  and  we 
are  happy. 


LETTER    LII. 

Sir  Stephen  Lakeman. — Mr.  E.'s  departure  for  Schumla. — Kindness  of 
American  Minister. — Bebcc. — American  Missionaries. — Annual  Meet- 
ing of  Bible  Society. — Large  Sycamores. — Fine  Ride. — Bendt. — Forest 
of  Belgrade. — Cottage  of  Lady  Montague. — Giant's  Mountain. — Le- 
gends.— Genoese  Castle. — Shopping  in  Pera. — Symplegades. 

BCYUKDERE,  June  16th. 

To  you,  my  mother,  I  have  chosen  to  address  this 
letter,  and  to  write  to  you  on  this  day,  rather  than  any 
other,  because  it  is  your  birthday,  and  afar  off,  over 
land  and  sea,  I  send  you  my  greetings,  and  hearty  wishes 
for  many  happy  returns  of  the  day.  You  may  be  sur- 
prised to  find  I  am  still  here,  and  more  surprised  to  see 
that  I  say  "  I"  instead  of  "  we,"  but  I  am  alone  just 

now,  J having  gone  "  to  the  wars."     Soon  after  our 

arrival  here,  we  made  the  acquaintance  of  an  officer  in 
the  English  army,  Sir  Stephen  Lakeman,  and  every  day 

when  he  rode  out,  he  invited  J to  go  with  him,  as 

he  had  a  number  of  fine  horses  here,  and  if  I  had  not 


58  LETTERS. 

been  such  a  coward,  I  might  have  gone  too,  but  his 
horses  looked  quite  too  gay  and  spirited  for  me. 

A  few  days  after  the  acquaintance  was  formed,  he 

kindly  invited  J to  go  with  him  to  Schumla,  as  he 

was  going  with  his  own  horses,  tents,  cook,  &c.  Such 
an  opportunity  to  see  the  country,  the  army  and  the 
great  men,  might  not  occur  again  in  a  lifetime,  and  for 
a  week,  to  go  or  not  to  go,  that  was  the  question.  The 
only  obstacles  were,  that  our  journey  would  be  retarded 
three  weeks  at  least,  and  that  I  must  be  left  behind  and 
almost  alone  in  a  strange  land.  The  first  objection 
grew  less  and  less  formidable,  for  I  had  been  taking  a 
fatiguing  journey,  and  a  long  rest  would  not  be  amiss. 
Besides,  my  heap  of  notes,  to  be  enlarged  and  copied 
out,  had  not  decreased  according  to  my  wishes,  and  a 
little  more  leisure  would  help  me  on  quite  wonderfully. 
The  last  objection  speedily  vanished,  for  our  Minister, 
hearing  of  J.'s  wishes  to  go,  kindly  offered  to  take  care 
of  me  in  his  absence,  and  nobly  has  he  thus  far  re- 
deemed his  promise.  I  no  longer  dine  at  the  public 
table,  but  in  their  own  room,  at  five  o'clock,  thus  giving 
me  an  opportunity  to  row  or  walk  with  them  every 
evening.  You  need  no  assurances  from  me,  to  know 
that  these  acts  of  kindness  do  not  fall  on  an  ungrateful 
heart,  but  are  dearly  cherished  as  tokens  of  a  kind  in- 
terest in  my  welfare,  that  knows  no  bounds.  The 
"  pros  and  cons"  being  duly  discussed,  and  thus  satis- 
factorily decided,  on  the  morning  of  the  14th,  the  trav- 
ellers set  forth,  and  I  have  in  prospect  a  period  of  rest 
of  three  weeks  duration. 

And  now  I  will  go  back  a  few  days,  and  tell  you  what 
else  has  transpired  since  my  last  letter.  On  Monday, 
the  5th,  Mr.  S.  invited  us  to  row  to  Bebec  with  them, 


LETTERS.  59 

but  J was  engaged  to  ride  with  Sir  S.,  so  I  went, 

and  enjoyed  the  excursion  very  much.  They  have  a 
large  caique  with  six  oars,  and  instead  of  carrying  a 
flag,  to  show  that  it  is  the  boat  of  the  American  Minis- 
ter, it  is  painted  on  the  outside  in  red  and  white  stripes, 
with  a  border  of  blue,  spotted  with  stars. 

Bebec  is  a  beautiful  village,  encircling  a  little  bay, 
just  below  the  Castle  of  Europe.  We  landed  under  the 
shade  of  large  sycamore  trees,  and  went  to  the  house 
of  one  of  the  American  missionaries  living  there,  where 
we  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  some  eight  or  ten  cler- 
gymen, from  different  parts  of  the  East,  who  are  holding 
their  annual  meeting  at  present  at  Pera.  Some  of  these 
missionaries  have  been  thirty  years  from  their  native 
land,  and  in  that  long  period  have  been  home  but  once. 
I  can  only  say  they  are  made  of  different  stuff  from 
what  I  am,  to  be  able  to  stay  away  so  long.  But  they 
are  doing  their  Master's  work,  and  cannot  easily  leave, 
to  their  honor  be  it  said. 

The  next  day  we  went  down  to  Pera,  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  S.  and  the  children,  it  being  the  anniversary  of  a 
Bible  Society,  of  which  his  Excellency  has  been  chosen 
President.  At  the  opening  of  the  meeting,  he  made  an 
address,  which  was  received  with  great  applause,  and 
was  followed  by  speakers  from  all  parts  of  the  world, 
English  chaplains  in  the  army  and  navy,  American  mis- 
sionaries from  the  far  East,  and  even  a  surgeon  in  the 
army,  relating  his  experience  of  the  benefits  of  a  free 
circulation  of  the  Bible.  It  was  an  occasion  of  great 
interest,  from  the  fact  that  the  speakers  were  thus  of 
different  professions,  and  from*  different  quarters  of  the 
globe.  It  was  Whitsun-Tuesday,  too,  and  it  seemed  to 
me  almost  a  Pentecostal  scene,  for  there  were  assembled 


60  LETTERS. 

"  dwellers  in  Mesopotamia,  and  in  Judea  and  Cappado- 
cia,  in  Pontus  and  Asia,  Phrygia  and  Pamphylia,  Jews 
and  proselytes,"  to  say  nothing  of  those  distant  coun- 
tries, England  and  America,  unknown  to  the  Christian 
world,  when  the  Holy  Ghost  miraculously  conferred  the 
gift  of  tongues. 

Though  I  have  now  been  on  the  Bosphorus  more  than 
a  half  dozen  times,  I  constantly  see  new  beauties  to 
admire.  The  picturesque  houses,  the  rich  coloring,  the 
rolling  hills,  the  lights  and  shades,  the  transparent 
water,  the  glorious  hues  of  the  clouds,  the  gorgeous 
palaces,  the  magnificent  gardens,  the  groups  sitting  here 
and  there  under  the  trees,  at  the  close  of  the  day,  the 
soldiers  standing  at  their  posts,  the  caique  gliding 
quickly  through  the  water,  these  are  a  few  of  the  far- 
famed  charms  of  the  Bosphorus,  charms,  I  believe,  that 
never  pall  upon  the  sight. 

Before  we  arrived  here,  that  afternoon,  the  sun  went 
down  in  a  flood  of  brilliant  hues,  the  Ramazan  gun 
boomed  out,  and  echoed  and  re-echoed  from  the  hills, 
and  from  the  minarets  came  forth  the  call  to  evening 
praye'r.  And  then  beyond  the  mountain  top,  the  moon 
suddenly  beamed  forth,  and  a  new  beauty  was  added  to 
the  lovely  scene. 

On  Wednesday,  I  overcame  my  timidity  so  far  as  to 
be  persuaded  to  mount  a  beautiful  Arabian  pony  belong- 
ing to  Sir  S.  L.,  and  although  he  was  a  spirited  little 
creature,  he  was  gentle  and  easily  managed.  But  I 
rode  in  constant  terror,  though  I  tried  to  enjoy  the 
scene,  for  it  was  a  lovely  country  through  which  we 
were  passing. 

Just  after  leaving  Buyukdere,  we  turned  a  little  aside 
to  see  the  immense  trees  under  which  Godfrey  of 


LETTERS.  61 

Bouillon  and  Raymond  of  Toulouse  encamped  on  their 
way  to  Palestine.  One  of  these  trees  measures  forty  feet 
around  the  trunk.  We  rode  along  a  paved  road  for 
some  little  distance,  our  horses  slipping  over  the  large 
stones,  for  it  had  rained  that  morning,  but  soon  we  left 
the  stones  behind  us,  and  then  we  entered  upon  a  road 
so  good  that  if  I  had  seen  it  in  Palestine  or  Syria,  I 
should  have  thought  it  had  lost  its  way.  Under  the 
o'erspreading  branches  of  large  trees,  a  murmuring 
rivulet  running  by  our  side,  and  gleaming  here  and 
there  among  the  grass  and  leaves,  our  way  laid,  and 
then  we  passed  under  the  arches  of  an  aqueduct 
built  by  Valens  and  Justinian,  and  soon  after  came  to 
a  large  reservoir  of  water,  enclosed  in  solid  masonry, 
and  surrounded  by  trees  and  shrubs.  This  is  called 
a  "  bendt,"  and  here  the  water  is  collected  to  supply 
the  aqueduct  which  extends  to  Constantinople.  We 
saw  three  of  these  "  bendts,"  the  last  two  adorned  with 
marble  balustrades,  and  here  and  there  a  little  sculp- 
ture. And  then  the  magnificent  trees  that  throw  their 
shadow  over  the  water,  and  the  grass  below,  so  free 
from  underbrush,  and  the  little  red  strawberries  peeping 
here  and  there  from  their  leafy  bed,  and  the  blue  sky 
above,  seen  through  the  many  boughs,  what  a  scene  it 
all  was ! 

Reclining  on  the  grass,  beside  a  rippling,  gushing 
fountain,  we  ate  our  lunch,  while  the  horses  fed  with 
much  apparent  relish  on  the  luxuriant  grass.  This 
was  the  forest  of  Belgrade,  and  near  here  is  a  cottage, 
in  which  the  witty  Lady  Montague  dwelt  for  some  time, 
and  where  she  wrote  many  of  her  interesting  letters. 

As  we  came  back  into  the  village,  it  began  to  rain,  so 
we  sought  shelter  in  a  house  till  the  shower  was  over, 


62  LETTERS. 

but  before  we  were  half  way  home,  the  rain  came  on 
again,  and  I  got  nicely  wet.  Last  Thursday,  his  Ex- 
cellency went  down  to  Pera  in  his  caique,  and  invited 
us  to  go  with  him,  and  we  once  more  enjoyed  the  de- 
lights of  the  Bosphorus,  and  again  spent  several  hours 
in  the  bazaars  of  Constantinople.  They  do  not  seem 
like  the  same  places  they  were  before  the  Ramazan 
commenced,  so  many  of  the  little  stalls  are  closed,  while 
their  owners  are  at  home,  sleeping  away  the  effects  of 
the  last  night's  excess.  Still,  the  bazaars  present  an 
animating  sight,  and  I  do  not  think  I  should  soon  grow 
weary  of  them. 

The  next  three  days  I  spent  very  quietly,  scarcely 
going  out  of  my  room,  except  to  my  meals.  Diligently 
I  labored  with  my  pen,  and  when  my  mind  and  my 
body  grew  weary,  I  went  upon  the  terrace,  and  looked 
abroad  on  the  Bosphorus.  And  when  night  came  with 
its  quiet,  and  rest  from  labor,  and  the  bright  stars  shone 
out,  and  the  full  moon  appeared  in  all  her  glory,  then 
care  and  labor  were  forgotten,  and  the  delicious  scene 
brought  peace  and  repose  to  the  weary  spirit. 

On  Monday,  we  rowed  across  the  Bosphorus,  and  as- 
cended the  Giant's  Mountain.  It  was  a  long  walk,  but 
not  a  very  fatiguing  one,  for  we  stopped  a  half  dozen 
times  to  feast  our  eyes  upon  the  exquisite  view  around 
us.  Byron  says, 

"  '  Tis  a  good  sight  from  off  the  Giant's  cave, 
To  watch  the  progress  of  these  rolling  seas, 
Between  the  Bosphorus,  as  they  lash  and  lave 
Asia  and  Europe." 

I  have  already  said  so  much  of  the  Bosphorus,  I  am 
afraid  you  will  grow  weary  of  the  subject,  and  yet  I  feel 
I  have  not  done  it  justice.  The  theme  of  the  historian, 


LETTERS.  63 

the  novelist,  the  traveller  and  the  poet,  it  has  been  de- 
scribed a  thousand  times,  and  for  one,  I  am  ready  to 
say  I  do  not  think  it  has  ever  been  overdrawn. 

The  Giant  who  gave  his  name  to  this  mountain, 
showed  his  taste  for  beautiful  scenery,  by  selecting  such 
a  spot  for  his  abiding  place.  Mussulman  tradition  says 
he  was  a  Dervish,  and  that  his  sanctity  was  equal  to  his 
stature,  which  makes  him  a  very  holy  man  indeed,  in- 
asmuch as  it  is  affirmed  he  sat  on  the  summit  of  the 
mountain,  and  bathed  his  feet  in  the  limpid  waters  of 
the  Bosphorus,  far,  far  down  below.  The  legend  of  the 
Christian  is,  that  he  was  a  man  of  immense  stature  and 
ferocious  nature,  to  whom  the  Symplegades  were  vas- 
sals, and  who,  from  his  lofty  station  on  the  mountain 
top,  watched  the  approach  of  every  ship  that  ventured 
to  brave  the  rough  waters  of  the  Euxine. 

From  this  elevated  spot,  we  had  a  magnificent  view 
of  the  undulating  banks  of  the  Bosphorus,  its  castled 
rocks,  smiling  valleys,  and  beautiful  bays,  across  which 
the  little  caiques  were  skimming  like  birds.  Hill  and 
dale  and  wooded  glade  intervened  between  us  and  the 
Black  Sea,  which  swept  far  away,  till  sea  and  sky  were 
blended  in  one  deep  and  heavenly  blue. 

On  the  summit  of  a  hill,  a  little  distance  beyond  us, 
were  the  remains  of  an  old  castle,  known  by  the  name 
of  "the  Genoese  Castle."  It  is  said  this  castle  was 
once  defended  by  a  fair  young  girl,  the  daughter  of  the 
governor,  who  was  killed  in  its  defence,  and  that  for 
three  days  after  her  father  fell,  she  boldly  held  out 
against  the  enemy,  her  little  garrison  growing  weaker 
and  more  dispirited  every  day,  till  at  last  she  fell,  a  vic- 
tim to  her  bravery  and  stout  resistance. 

Once  more  I  have  been  up  and  down  the  Bosphorus, 


64  LETTERS. 

for  J found  it  necessary  to  go  to  Pera,  to  make 

some  preparations  for  his  departure.  We  made  another 
attempt  to  see  the  dancing  Dervishes,  but  without  suc- 
cess. The  remainder  of  the  day  was  devoted  to  shop- 
ping, a  transaction  not  always  attended  by  pleasant 
circumstances,  particularly  in  Pera,  where  different 
articles  are  scattered  in  the  most  unlooked-for  places, 
the  nicest  boots  and  shoes  being  often  found  in  a  candy 
shop,  and  ready-made  coats  and  vests  in  a  furniture 
store !  Day  before  yesterday,  Sir  S.  L.  and  his  party 
set  out,  and  I  need  not  say  what  my  feelings  were,  when 
I  returned  to  my  solitary  room,  after  seeing  them  off. 
But  the  consciousness  that  both  I  and  mine  are  in  the 
hands  of  One  who  never  slumbers  or  sleeps,  and  that 
He  can  watch  over  all,  whether  separated  or  together, 
buoys  me  up,  and  I  go  about  my  accustomed  duties  and 
pleasures  with  unabated  cheerfulness  and  alacrity. 

Yesterday  morning,  Mr.  S.  and  his  family  and  myself 
went  up  to  the  Black  Sea,  about  six  or  seven  miles  from 
here.  As  we  approached  the  sea,  the  villages  grew  more 
and  more  scattering  along  the  shore  of  the  Bosphorus, 
and  the  hills  more  steep  and  rugged.  The  current  was 
very  strong,  but  our  three  boatmen  pulled  well,  and  the 
caique  danced  over  the  waters  "  like  a  thing  of  life." 
Huge  porpoises  leaped  about  us,  and  white  gulls  floated 
lazily  on  the  water,  while  myriads  of  little  birds  sped 
by  us,  almost  touching  the  water  with  their  wings. 
These  birds  go  from  the  Black  Sea  down  the  Bospho- 
rus, and  back,  and  are  never  seen  to  alight,  and  they 
are  said  by  the  Turks  to  be  the  spirits  of  the  wicked, 
doomed  to  roam  up  and  down  the  straits,  knowing  no 
rest. 

At  the  entrance  of  the  Bosphorus  into  the  Black  Sea, 


LETTEES.  65 

on  the  left  hand,  is  a  cluster  of  rocks,  called  the  Sym- 
plegades.  We  climbed,  with  some  difficulty,  to  the  top 
of  these  rocks,  and  the  boatmen,  bringing  up  our  pro- 
visions, we  hoisted  the  American  flag,  and  we  ate  our 
lunch  there,  sitting  around  a  column  of  white  marble, 
about  six  feet  in  height  and  three  in  circumference. 
"When  this  pillar  was  erected,  no  one  seems  to  know ; 
some  say  it  was  put  up  there  in  honor  of  Pompey,  others 
of  Apollo.  There  we  sat,  with  the  Black  Sea  before  us, 
not  looking  black,  as  in  my  childhood  I  thought  it  must, 
to  deserve  its  name,  but  calm  and  clear  and  blue,  its 
fair  surface  dotted  here  and  there  with  a  white  sail. 
Our  hunger  being  appeased,  and  our  eyes  tired  of  look- 
ing on  the  dazzling  sea,  we  clambered  down,  not  with- 
out a  few  slippings  on  the  rock,  and  with  merry  laughter 
at  our  awkwardness.  "We  rowed  a  little  way  up  the 
sea,  but  calm  and  smooth  as  it  looked  from  the  rocks, 
we  found  it  quite  boisterous,  when  once  upon  its  bosom, 
and  the  waves  dashed  over  our  prow  quite  merrily,  so 
we  were  content  to  turn  back. 

And  thus,  in  a  dry  and  journal-like  manner,  I  have 
told  you  of  our  doings  the  last  two  weeks  ;  but  uninter- 
esting as  the  manner  is,  I  hope  the  matter  will  not  prove 
utterly  devoid  of  interest  to  you. 

My  mother,  adieu. 
5 


66  LETTERS, 


LETTER    LIII. 

Daily  Routine. — Adventure. — Feast  of  the  Beiram. — Close  of  the  Ra- 
mazan. — Night  Scene  on  the  Bosphorus.  —  Mr.  Brown.  —  Scene  at 
Dawn. — Seraglio. — Kissing  the  Feet. — The  Sultan. 

BUYUKDEEE,  June  25th. 
MY  DEAK  GIRLS  : 

It  is  Sunday  afternoon,  and  nearly  all  day  I  have  sat 
alone  in  my  room,  while  my  thoughts  have  wandered  a 
hundred  times  to  my  far  distant  home,  and  to  all  I  love 
there  ;  and  as  I  know  a  letter  sent  from  such  a  distance 
would  give  you  much  pleasure,  I  thought  I  would  write 
this  time  to  you.  Since  I  last  wrote  home,  my  days 
have  passed  in  a  quiet,  pleasant  routine,  reading,  writing, 
sewing,  walking  or  rowing,  but  I  am  sorry  to  say  my 
nights  have  not  been  at  all  tranquil,  for  I  have  now  a 
room  that  opens  upon  the  street,  and  night  after  night, 
dogs  are  barking,  and  cats  are  howling,  fiddles  are 
squeaking,  and  men  are  roaring,  till  long  after  midnight, 
and  I  must  say  I  think  that  a  queer  religion  that  leads 
people  to  fast  all  day  and  revel  all  night,  and  for  one,  I 
shall  be  glad  when  the  Ramazan  is  over,  and,  by  the 
way,  it  ends  to-day. 

The  rooms  we  had  before  your  uncle  went  away,  were 
double  rooms,  but,  of  course,  I  did  not  want  to  be  at 
the  expense  of  keeping  them,  when  I  need  but  one 
room,  so  now  I  have  a  room  that  looks  down  upon  the 
street,  and  abroad  upon  a  high  and  beautifully  wooded 
hill,  while  on  the  right  I  have  a  view  of  the  Bosphorus, 
almost  to  its  entrance  into  the  Black  Sea. 

Sometimes  in  the  morning  we  walk  out,  going  to  the 
large  trees  about  a  mile  from  here,  and  Mrs.  S.  and  I 


LETTERS.  67 

sit  with  our  work  under  their  grateful  shade,  while  the 
children  take  turns  in  riding  011  their  donkey.  At  other 
times,  we  row  several  miles  down  the  Bosphorus,  and 
landing  near  a  spring,  regale  ourselves  with  cold  water, 
a  luxury  unknown  at  this  hotel.  Over  on  the  Asiatic 
side,  are  lovely  valleys,  and  several  of  these  we  have 
visited,  strolling  along  under  magnificent  trees,  or  sitting 
upon  the  grass,  with  books  and  work.  After  dinner, 
we  invariably  go  out,  one  evening  walking  along  the 
quay,  meeting  half  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town, 
either  sitting  at  their  doors,  or  sauntering  along  the 
streets,  and  the  next  evening,  going  in  the  caique. 
Most  of  all,  I  enjoy  a  row  on  the  Bosphorus  at  that 
hour.  Groups  of  people  sitting  under  trees  in  front  of 
a  rural  cafe,  sipping  coffee  or  sherbet,  the  soft  light 
upon  the  hills,  and  the  lengthened  shadows  in  the  val- 
leys, the  white  minarets  rising  from  clusters  of  trees, 
and  glittering  with  the  last  rays  of  the  sun,  the  delicate 
coloring  of  the  clouds,  and  the  soft  tints  spread  over 
the  water,  the  caiques  darting  hither  and  thither,  the 
little  birds  speeding  rapidly  on,  the  bustling  steamer, 
the  stately  ship,  with  all  sails  spread,  the  delicious  air, 
all  have  their  peculiar  charms.  Often  as  I  now  have 
been  on  the  Bosphorus,  I  am  never  weary  of  it,  but 
every  day  I  seem  to  see  it  under  a  new  aspect. 

Last  Thursday,  I  was  obliged  to  go  down  to  Pera  to 
see  my  dress-maker,  who,  by  the  way,  belongs  to  the 
sterner  sex,  and  who  had  disappointed  me,  a  habit  by 
no  means  confined  to  dress-makers  in  the  East,  and  as 
Mrs.  S.  wanted  some  shopping  done,  she  sent  her  nurse 
down  with  me,  to  attend  to  it.  Having  but  little  to  do, 
I  thought  I  should  have  ample  time  to  leave  here  at 
twelve  o'clock,  and  return  at  half  past  five,  but  I  had 


68  LETTERS. 

forgotten  how  difficult  it  was  to  accomplish  shopping 
with  ease  in  Pera,  and  we  found  ourselves  very  much 
hurried  towards  the  last.  Then  I  lost  my  way  going  to 
the-  bridge,  from  which  the  steamers  up  the  Bosphorus 
start,  and  that  hindered  us,  so  that  the  hour  for  leaving 
had  passed  before  we  reached  the  bridge,  but  knowing 
that  Turkish  punctuality  is  always  to  be  behind  the 
time,  I  did  not  feel  very  uneasy.  When  we  had  tra- 
versed half  the  bridge,  a  new  difficulty  appeared,  for 
the  draw  was  open,  to  let  a  steamship  pass  through. 
The  whistles  of  the  steamers  sounded,  and  I  could  look 
ahead  and  see  the  black  smoke  issuing  from  the  pipes, 
and  then  I  knew  we  had  not  a  minute  to  lose,  so  calling 
out  "  caique,"  a  dozen  of  them  instantly  came  along- 
side the  bridge,  and  a  dozen  voices  clamored  out.  But 
not  a  word  of  Turkish  could  we  understand  or  speak, 
but  "  yes"  and  "  no,"  so  I  selected  the  foremost  caique. 
But  how  to  get  down  to  the  crazy  little  egg-shell  was  a 
question.  No  time  was  to  be  lost,  and  we  crawled 
under  the  railing  of  the  bridge,  and  prepared  to  jump 
down,  when  another  new  difficulty  made  its  appearance. 
A  man  and  a  woman,  I  cannot  call  them  a  gentleman 
and  a  lady,  though  they  were  nicely  and  fashionably 
dressed,  were  sitting  on  the  railing,  gazing  at  the  steam- 
ship going  through  the  draw,  and  on  the  bridge  stood 
an  oblong  sort  of  a  bundle,  tied  up  in  a  colored  hand- 
kerchief. In  my  haste  to  get  under  the  railing,  my 
dress  swept  the  bundle  over,  and  immediately  I  heard 
a  crash.  Down  leaped  the  man  and  the  woman ;  one 
grabbed  me  by  one  wrist  and  the  other  by  the  other, 
demanding,  in  furious  tones,  reparation  of  the  grievous 
wrong  I  had  done  them  in  breaking  a  bottle  of  wine. 
I  asked  pardon  in  the  choicest  French  and  Italian  I 


LETTERS.  69 

could  muster,  but  they  did  not  seem  to  understand 
much  of  either  language,  so  I  suppose  they  were  Greeks 
or  Armenians.  At  last,  (how  long  it  seemed,)  I  made 
them  understand  I  was  willing  to  pay,  and  wanted  to 
know  how  much  would  satisfy  them.  "  Twenty  pias- 
tres." I  venture  to  say  the  wine  did  not  cost  five,  but 
I  suppose  it  is  not  every  day  they  have  a  bottle  of  wine 
broken,  and  they  wished  to  make  the  most  of  it.  I  was 
in  haste,  else  I  would  have  gone  with  them  to  the  em- 
bassy and  had  it  settled,  so  I  opened  my  purse  and 
handed  him  a  bill,  (for  they  have  paper  money  here, 
and  villainous  looking  stuff  it  is,  too,  like  the  "  shin- 
plasters"  we  once  had  in  the  United  States,)  and  went 
on  my  way.  Unfortunately,  it  proved  to  be  ten  piastres, 
instead  of  twenty,  and  once  more  he  flew  at  me,  catch- 
ing a  book  from  my  hand,  which  he  intimated  he  should 
keep  till  I  gave  liim  the  money.  The  book  was  not 
mine,  or  I  would  have  given  it  up  and  walked  on,  so  I 
tried  to  get  the  book  back,  but  the  wretch  caught  me 
by  the  wrist,  and  once  more  demanded  his  money. 
Margaret,  having  no  intention  of  letting  the  book  go, 
(it  belonged  to  Mr.  Spence,)  now  came  to  my  rescue, 
and  being  mistress  of  no  other  tongue  than  her  own, 
treated  the  man  to  a  good,  sound  American  scolding. 

A  crowd  gathered  round,  the  whistles  shrieked,  I 
must  either  go  then,  or  stay  in  Pera  all  night,  so  throw- 
ing him  a  note  for  twenty  piastres,  and  springing  down 
into  the  caique,  I  bade  the  man  row  quickly  to  the 
Buyukdere  steamer.  But  which  one  ?  for  there  were 
three.  "  I  do  not  care  which,  only  put  us  on  board  one," 
I  cried,  but  before  we  went  many  steps,  two  of  them 
started.  The  man,  screaming  for  them  to  stop,  rowed 
into  a  narrow  space  directly  between  the  two,  while  the 


70  LETTERS. 

signal  was  given  for  the  engines  to  be  stopped,  to  take  us 
in.  Already  in  danger  from  the  paddles,  I  would  not  have 
mounted  either  of  those  little  ladders  thrown  over  the 
side,  for  the  half  of  Buyukdere,  so  I  motioned  to  the 
man  to  row  to  the  next  steamer,  which  was  just  ready 
to  start.  More  dead  than  alive,  I  was  hauled  up  the 
ladder,  and  we  were  half  way  up  the  Bosphorus,  before 
I  recovered  strength  or  composure,  while  my  wrist  ac- 
tually showed  for  hours  the  marks  of  that  brute's  vio- 
lence. So  much  for  being  in  a  hurry  ! 

To-morrow  is  a  great  festival  at  Constantinople,  the 
feast  of  the  Beiram,  when  all  the  grandees  of  the  em- 
pire are  permitted  to  kiss  the  Sultan's  feet !  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  S — ,  to  give  me  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  the 
ceremony,  had  most  kindly  prepared  to  go  down,  and 
as  it  takes  place  early  in  the  morning,  we  are  to  leave 
here  by  four  o'clock.  To  be  sure  it  will  be  something 
of  a  trial  to  get  up  so  early,  but  I  am  certain  the 
Bosphorus  must  look  lovely  at  that  hour. 

Tuesday  Evening.  While  we  were  at  dinner  on 
Sunday,  we  ascertained  that  the  ceremony  of  the  Beiram 
commenced  much  earlier  Monday  morning,  than  we 
had  imagined,  and  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  arrive 
at  Constantinople  in  season  to  witness  it,  unless  we  left 
here  in  the  night,  so  we  concluded  to  go  down  to  Pera 
that  evening.  The  caique  was  ordered,  our  arrange- 
ments were  speedily  made,  and  at  half  past  six,  we 
were  on  the  Bosphorus.  Shall  I  ever  forget  that  night  ? 
The  current  took  us  out  into  the  middle  of  the  straits, 
and  we  therefore  had  an  excellent  view  of  both  banks. 
Never  did  the  Bosphorus  seem  more  lovely.  The  soft- 
ened light  threw  a  mellow  tint  over  hill  and  grove,  pal- 
ace and  mosque,  house  and  garden ;  the  tall  cypress 


LETTEES.  71 

looked  more  dark  and  stately  than  ever,  and  the  white 
headstones  beneath  them,  more  unearthly  and  mysteri- 
ous. Under  every  clump  of  trees,  sat  a  group  of  per- 
sons in  their  holiday  attire,  and  Armenian  and  Turk, 
Greek  and  English,  were  seen  sauntering  along  the 
shore.  Soldiers  stood  at  their  guns,  saluting  the  Min- 
ister as  we  passed,  the  Greek  Priest  walked  from  village 
to  village,  his  thin  veil  of  black  crape  floating  back 
upon  the  breeze. 

And  then  the  sun  went  down,  and  the  groups  upon 
the  shore  became  shadowy  and  indistinct.  Hark !  from 
the  castles  of  Europe  and  Asia,  boom  forth  the  sunset 
guns,  and  peal  after  peal  reverberates  through  the  air, 
each  hill  sending  back  a  separate  echo*  The  Rarnazan 
is  over,  and  the  guns  from  every  fort,  up  and  down  the 
Bosphorus,  send  abroad  the  joyful  news. 

We  are  passing  a  mosque,  its  white  minaret  stand- 
ing out  distinctly  in  the  faint  light.  A  dark  form  ap- 
pears in  one  of  the  galleries,  the  hands  are  raised,  and 
forth  upon  the  evening  air,  came  the  sonorous  sounds, 
"  There  is  but  one  God,  and  Mohammet  is  his  prophet, 
come  to  prayers."  Minaret  after  minaret  sends  forth  a 
like  cry,  and  thousands  of  Mohammedans,  obeying  the 
call,  prostrate  themselves  before  their  God. 

The  soft  and  dreamy  twilight  comes  on,  hill  and 
grove,  palace  and  mosque,  house  and  garden  are  mingled 
mysteriously  together  in  dim  outline,  till  suddenly  light 
flashes  forth.  Every  dome  is  lit  up,  every  gallery  shows 
fantastic  characters,  the  palace  of  the  Sultan  has  a  line 
of  lights  in  front,  and  the  city,  we  are  rapidly  approach- 
ing, gleams  forth  like  a  scene  in  fairy  land.  What 
painter  could  do  justice  to  the  glorious  hues  of  the 
evening  sky,  reflected  back  in  the  smooth  sea  !  Oh ! 


72  LETTEES. 

gorgeous  Eastern  land !  oh !  magnificent  Constantino- 
ple !  How  queenly  she  sat  that  night  on  her  seven  hills, 
every  summit  crowned  by  a  vast  mosque,  whose  proudly 
swelling  dome  and  towering  minarets  sent  forth  a  blaze 
of  light ! 

Landing  at  Tophana,  we  passed  the  beautiful  foun- 
tain, arrayed  in  fantastic  splendor,  from  the  little 
lamps  around  on  the  stands  where  fruit  and  candy, 
and  crisp  cakes,  and  sherbet  and  ices,  were  ready  to 
tempt  the  passer-by.  Slowly  we  toiled  up  the  steep 
hills,  treading  very  daintily  on  the  round  stones,  the  Ka- 
vass,  (a  Turkish  officer)  with  his  sword,  ahead  to 
clear  the  way  for  his  excellency,  no  foreign  minister 
ever  walking  out,  without  such  an  attendant. 

Arriving  at  the  Hotel  de  Byzance,  we  found  it  full, 
not  a  bed  to  be  had,  though  lodging  could  be  obtained 
out.  But  the  minister  sent  a  note  to  Mr.  Brown,  drag- 
oman of  the  embassy,  stating  our  dilemma,  and  in  a 
short  time,  an  answer  came  back,  that  he  had  rooms 
for  all.  I  felt  delicate  about  intruding  myself  on  pri- 
vate hospitality,  but  there  was  no  alternative,  for,  as  we 
should  be  obliged  to  go  out  early  the  next  morning,  it 
was  necessary  for  me  to  keep  with  my  party.  Kindly 
we  were  received,  and  kindly  we  were  entertained. 
What  American  that  has  ever  visited  Constantinople, 
has  not  received  kindness  at  the  hands  of  Mr.  Brown  ? 
A  scholar,  a  gentleman,  perfectly  acquainted  with  the 
Turkish  language  and  habits,  and  history,  which  his 
long  residence  at  the  Ottoman  court,  has  given  him  rare 
facilities  for  acquiring,  he  is  ever  ready  to  impart  infor- 
mation to  the  traveller,  eager  to  know  somewhat  about 
the  interesting  people  among  whom  he  finds  himself. 

We  were  to  be  called  at  four  o'clock  the  next  morn- 


LETTERS.  73 

ing,  but  afraid  of  oversleeping  myself,  I  awoke  at  half 
past  three.  I  opened  the  window  to  get  more  light  to 
look  at  my  watch,  and  I  did  not  close  it  again  very 
soon,  for  such  a  scene  burst  upon  me,  as  I  have  not 
often  witnessed.  Dawn  was  breaking,  and  sea  and  land 
were  awakening  to  new  life  and  loveliness.  Below  me, 
down  the  hills  of  Tophana,  was  a  mass  of  red  roofs ; 
beyond,  gleamed  the  Golden  Horn,  across  whose  smooth 
surface,  even  at  that  early  hour,  were  speeding  the  little 
caiques,  and  still  farther  on,  rose  the  seven-hilled  city, 
her  magnificent  domes  and  towering  minarets  and  gild- 
ed crescents",  standing  out  in  full  relief  against  the 
blushing  sky.  Away  in  the  distance  lay  the  sheeny  sea, 
a  rock-girt  island  looking  dark  and  frowning,  in  con- 
trast to  the  placid  waters.  "  Lovely,  lovely  scene !"  I 
exclaimed  a  half  dozen  times.  All  my  objections  to 
early  rising,  vanished  before  a  view  like  that,  and  I  am 
sure  if  I  lived  near  Constantinople,  I  would  often  get  up 
early  to  feast  my  senses  on  a  scene  so  exquisite. 

Brighter  and  brighter  dawned  the  day,  and  more  and 
more  distinctly  came  out  each  beautiful  object.  Now 
I  saw  the  old  Seraglio,  peeping  out  from  its  leafy  cov- 
ert ;  now  the  waters  of  the  Golden  IJorn  shone  out 
more  brightly,  and  now  the  gilded  crescents  flashed  in 
the  increasing  light. 

A  tap  at  my  door  aroused  me  from  my  meditation, 
and  I  turned  from  the  window  to  make  my  toilet,  which 
I  accomplished  in  great 'haste,  that  I  might  have  the 
more  leisure  for  gazing  at  the  glorious  scene  without. 

The  party  was  soon  assembled  in  the  parlor ;  we 
partook  of  a  slight  repast,  and  then  went  out.  Even 
at  that  early  hour,  every  one  was  stirring,  for  it  was  a 
great  festival  among  the  Turks.  Turbaned  men  and 


74  LETTERS. 

shrouded  women  and  noisy  children  filled  the  streets. 
Around  every  cafe"  sat  groups  of  men  in  picturesque 
attire,  with  coffee  and  pipes  beside  them,  and  every 
moment  we  jostled  against  man  or  boy  with  tray  on  their 
heads,  in  which  (the  tray,  not  the  heads  I  mean)  were 
cakes  or  bread  for  sale. 

Down  the  steep  streets,  and  over  the  rough  stones  we 
went  till  we  reached  Tophana,  and  then  getting  into 
the  caique,  were  speedily  rowed  across  the  Bosphorus 
to  Seraglio  Point.  Dozens  of  caiques  were  moored  at 
the  wharf,  and  we  found  the  ceremony  had  already 
commenced,  for  the  Sultan  had  gone  to  the  mosque. 
Up  the  shaded  paths  of  the  Seraglio  grounds,  through 
court  after  court,  and  gate  after  gate  our  way  led,  till 
we  reached  the  large  court,*  where  the  ceremony  of 
"  kissing  the  feet"  was  to  take  place.  Here  we  found 
a  crowd  of  people,  though  not  a  thousandth  part  of 
what  we  might  have  expected  such  a  scene  to  call  forth. 
I  did  not  see  a  Turkish  woman  among  them,  and  ex- 
cepting the  soldiers  and  kavasses,  hardly  a  Turk,  but 
French  and  English,  and  Armenian  and  Greek,  were 
well  represented,  and  we  heard  more  than  a  half  dozen 
different  languages  around  us. 

We  had  a  good  place  under  the  shade  of  a  tree, 
where  we  could  command  the  whole  view.  I  think  we 
waited  more  than  half  an  hour,  and  then  a  signal  an- 
nounced that  the  Sultan  was  leaving  the  mosque.  A 
company  of  soldiers  came  first;  and  then  followed  the 
horses  belonging  to  the  Sultan,  ten  in  number.  What 
splendid  animals  these  were  too !  Each  one  had  a  sad- 
dle cloth  of  velvet,  embroidered  with  gold,  and  stepped 
on  as  proudly,  as  though  he  was  conscious  of  carrying 
royalty  on  his  back.  Next  came  the  body  guard,  in  an 


LETTERS.  75 

uniform  of  red  and  white,  and  caps  surmounted  by  a 
knot  of  feathers,  of  every  color  of  the  rainbow. 

And  now  came  Sultan  Abdel  Medjib,  "  the  servant 
of  the  all-glorious,  the  refuge  of  the  world,"  mounted 
on  a  grey  horse,  the  saddle  cloth  covered  with  rich  em- 
broidery, and  the  bridle  decorated  with  diamonds.  The 
Sultan  wore  white  pantaloons,  embroidered  with  gold 
up  and  down  the  sides,  and  a  loose  frock  coat  of  blue 
cloth,  the  collar  and  cuffs  studded  with  diamonds.  A 
small  cap  of  red  velvet,  with  a  feather  fastened  in  with 
a  diamond  clasp,  completed  his  attire.  He  rode  slowly 
on,  his  eyes  'fixed  on  vacancy,  and  never  turned  his 
head  to  the  right  or  the  left.  The  gentlemen,  (at  least 
those  who  wore  hats,)  uncovered  as  he  passed,  but  no 
cheers  were  given.  He  entered  the  Palace,  and  then 
another  long  interval  of  waiting  was  passed,  while  he 
"reposed,"  that  is,  smoked  a  pipe,  and  drank  some 
coffee,  and  if  report  says  true,  took  something  a  little 
stronger. 

I  wondered  no  larger  cavalcade  followed  him  from  the 
mosque,  but  I  was  told  they  came  in  by  a  more  pri- 
vate entrance,  and  were  awaiting  their  turn  to  be  pre- 
sented to  his  Imperial  Majesty. 

Under  an  arch,  in  front  of  the  Seraglio,  the  ceremony 
of  kissing  the  feet  of  the  Sultan  was  to  take  place,  and 
the  tediousness  of  waiting  was  lightened  a  little  by  wit- 
nessing the  preparations  made  for  the  great  event.  A 
rich  carpet  was  brought  out,  glittering  with  gold,  and 
laid  upon  the  ground,  and  on  it  was  placed  a  gilded 
sofa,  and,  that  no  dust  should  alight  where  his  Majesty 
was  to  sit,  a  heavy  cloth  of  gold  was  thrown  over  the 
entire  sofa. 

At  length,  (and  an  interminable  length  it  seemed) 


76  LETTERS. 

symptoms  of  the  Sultan's  approach  appeared.  The 
body  guard  ranged  themselves  in  a  semi-circle  around 
the  gilded  throne,  their  heads  so  heavy  with  their 
plumed  caps,  that  they  seemed  to  be  moving  very  cau- 
tiously, for  fear  of  becoming  top-heavy.  The  band  of 
music  was  stationed  at  a  distance  in  front  of  the  arch, 
and  the  soldiers  were  drawn  up  in  lines,  in  the  avenue. 
A  gun  boomed  forth ;  the  music  struck  up,  the  cloth  of 
gold  was  flourished  from  the  sofa,  and  the  Sultan  ap- 
peared, and  took  his  seat.  Then  one  loud  cheer  rent 
the  air,  and  distinctly  were  pronounced  the  words  by 
hundreds  of  voices,  "  Sultan  Abdel  Medjib,  may  he 
live  a  thousand  years  ;"  (not  in  English  as  I  have  given 
them,  but  in  Turkish.) 

The  Sultan  stood  up ;  a  venerable  Mufti,  clothed  in 
flowing  white  robes,  stood  before  him,  and  raising  his 
hands  in  one  of  the  prescribed  postures  of  the  Moslem 
form,  uttered  a  short  prayer,  the  Sultan  raising  his 
hands,  and  every  Turk  and  soldier  on  the  ground,  doing 
the  same.  The  "  amen"  was  another  cheer,  and  a  rep- 
etition of  the  wish  that  the  Sultan  might  live  a  thou- 
sand years,  (rather  too  long  I  should  think  for  com- 
fort.) 

Then  followed  the  presentation,  and  my  eyes  were 
dazzled  with  the  rich  array  of  gold  embroideries  before 
me.  First  came  the  Grand  Yizier,  then  the  ex-Grand 
Viziers,  the  Ministers  of  State  and  leading  dignitaries, 
each  dressed  in  military  costume,  literally  covered  with 
embroidery.  The  Sultan  stood  upon  a  footstool,  and 
each  one  as  he  came  up,  bowed  to  the  ground,  waving 
his  hand,  seeming  to  touch  the  earth  with  it,  approach- 
ed the  throne,  bowed  again,  then  throwing  himself  on 
his  knees,  before  the  Sultan,  humbly  kissed,  not  his  feet 


LETTEES.  77 

as  I  expected,  but  the  border  of  his  coat,  pressing  it 
afterwards  to  his  breast  and  his  forehead.  Rising  then 
from  his  knees,  he  once  more  bowed  to  the  ground,  re- 
treated to  the  edge  of  the  carpet,  with  his  face  towards 
the  Sultan,  bowed  again,  and  then  took  his  place  in  a 
semi-circle  on  the  right  of  his  Imperial  Majesty.  What 
a  ceremony  this  was  to  go  through!  I  am  sure  much 
practice  must  have  been  necessary,  before  all  the  bow- 
ing, and  bending,  and  kneeling  could  be  performed  with 
ease  and  grace.  To  be  sure,  in  backing  out  from  the 
Sultan's  immediate  presence,  one  Pasha,  tripped  and 
fell  full  length  on  the  ground,  quickly  rising  up  how- 
ever, covered  with  confusion,  and  I  might  add,  with 
dust. 

The  Sultan  then  sat  down,  the  Grand  Vizier  stand- 
ing on  his  right,  and  those  who  had  had  the  honor  of 
kissing  the  Sultan's  coat,  in  a  semi-circle  beyond,  and 
every  time  the  Sultan  spoke  to  the  Grand  Vizier,  which 
was  quite  often,  he  bowed  to  the  ground,  at  the  com- 
mencement and  end  of  every  sentence. 

On  the  left  of  the  Sultan,  stood  an  officer  holding  the 
imperial  scarf,  once  belonging  to  the  Prophet  himself, 
and  then  the  inferior  Pachas,  Beys,  and  other  officers 
went  through  a  process  of  bowing  and  kissing  the  scarf, 
each  one  pressing  it  afterwards  to  his  forehead  and 
breast,  but  none  of  these  were  permitted  the  honor  of 
kissing  the  hem  of  the  Sultan's  garment.  Hundreds 
approached  to  kiss  the  scarf,  and  after  a  little,  I  grew 
weary,  so  I  watched  the  Sultan.  He  looked  bored,  and 
actually  seemed  as  though  he  did  not  know  what  to  do 
with  his  hands,  like  many  an  awkward  man  at  home. 
At  last,  he  rolled  them  up  in  his  coat  sleeves,  and  seem- ' 
ed  delighted  with  such  a  cosy  place  for  them.  All  this 


78  LETTERS. 

while,  the  band  was  "  discoursing  most  eloquent  music," 
and  I  recognized  one  or  two  familar  Italian  airs.  The 
leader  of  this  band  is  Donizetti,  brother  to  the  far  famed 
composer. 

At  last  there  came  a  change ;  the  Sultan  stood  up,  the 
cheers  burst  forth,  and  a  line  of  muftis  and  imaunis 
came  up  clothed  in  long  flowing  robes,  of  white  and 
green  and  purple  and  grey,  decked  with  gold  embroid- 
ery, and  immense  turbans  of  white  and  green  with  a 
broad  gold  band  around  them,  (the  descendants  of  the 
prophets  only  being  permitted  to  wear  the  green  tur- 
bans). Each  one  of  these  had  the  honor  of  kissing  the 
hem  of  the  coat,  and  I  wondered  how  those  old  men, 
for  some  of  them  had  venerable  grey  beards,  ever  got 
through  that  maze  of  bowing  and  kneeling,  but  I  sup- 
pose they  are  used  to  it. 

The  scarf-kissing  commenced  again,  the  music  pealed 
forth  a  joyous  strain,  and  then  a  flourish  of  drums  and 
trumpets  announced  that  the  ceremony  was  over.  The 
Sultan  made  a  speedy  exit,  the  sofa  was  dragged  away, 
the  gorgeous  carpet  was  snatched  up,  and  the  crowd 
began  to  disperse.  Cannons  were  fired  in  quick  succes- 
sion, announcing  that  the  Sultan  had  entered  the  palace 
of  his  fathers. 

It  was  not  seven  o'clock  when  we  left  the  Seraglio 
grounds,  and  I  sighed  at  the  thought  of  the  long  day 
before  me.  I  should  have  been  glad  to  have  gone 
again  into  the  bazaars,  but  I  was  told  the  Turkish  ba- 
zaar would  be  closed.  The  row  back  to  Tophana  was 
exceedingly  refreshing  to  me,  after  standing  so  long, 
for  I  had  not  sat  down  once  while  I  was  on  the  ground, 
but  the  walk  up  to  Mr.  Brown's  was  not  so  easy. 

Till  breakfast  time,  which  was  between  ten  and  eleven 


LETTERS.  79 

o'clock,  I  regaled  myself  with  reading  papers  from  the 
United  States,  but  they  were  so  full  of  murders  and  riots, 
I  more  than  once  blushed  for  my  country.  After  break- 
fast, I  had  some  shopping  to  do,  of  course,  and  that 
being  duly  attended  to,  I  had  ample  time  to  rest  before 
dinner. 

We  left  at  six,  and  though  I  was  wearied  with  having 
been  up  so  long,  I  enjoyed  the  row  here  very  much. 
Before  we  reached  Buyukdere,  the  night  came  on, 
solemn  and  grand,  and  thousands  of  little  fire-flies 
danced  among  the  leaves  on  the  banks. 

I  was  not  in  my  room  many  minutes,  before  I  was  in 
bed,  for  I  had  been  up  more  than  eighteen  hours  ;  rather 
a  long  day.  Again  we  were  on  the  Bosphorus  this  even- 
ing, and  stopping  at  one  of  our  favorite  haunts,  sat  for 
a  long  time  under  the  trees,  coming  home  in  the  deli- 
cious twilight. 

I  have  now,  my  dear  girls,  written  you  a  long  letter, 
and  I  hope  it  is  one  that  will  interest  you.  Last  Satur- 
day being  dear  little  J-.'s  birthday,  I  thought  a  great 
deal  of  you  all,  and  longed  to  be  once  more  in  your 
midst. 


LETTER    LIY. 

Garden  of  the  Russian  Embassy. — Sweet  Waters  of  Asia. — Return  from 
the  Wars. — Fourth  of  July. — Turkish  Bath. 

BUYUKDERE,  July  2d. 
MY  DEAR  P. : 

As  I  cannot  go  to  church  to-day,  there  being  none 
nearer  than  Pera,  I  have  chosen  to  devote  a  part  of  this 


80  LETTERS. 

day  to  communing  with  you  at  home.  I  have,  to  be 
sure,  but  little  to  write,  as  I  am  leading  a  very  quiet, 
though  agreeable  life,  for  such  a  long  period  of  rest  I 
do  not  often  enjoy  when  travelling.  I  generally  go  out 
twice  a  day,  early  in  the  morning,  and  after  dinner. 
Twice  I  have  walked  in  the  garden  of  the  Russian  em- 
bassy, not  often  visited  by  strangers,  especially  now  that 
the  ambassador  is  away,  and  the  palace  closed.  This 
garden  is  very  extensive,  stretching  along  the  shore  of 
the  Bosphorus,  and  reaching  to  the  summit  of  the 
mountain  in  the  rear.  Winding  walks,  shaded  by  trees, 
through  whose  thick  foliage  the  sun  rarely  penetrates, 
fountains,  whose  rippling  sound  delights  the  ear, 
glimpses  of  the  blue  Bosphorus  below  and  green  hills  be- 
yond, these  are  some  of  the  charms  of  this  garden.  Far- 
ther up  the  hillside,  is  a  large  vineyard,  the  vine  planted 
in  rows  along  the  ground,  and  beyond,  an  orchard  of  fig 
and  apricot  and  peach  trees. 

Almost  at  the  summit  of  the  hill,  we  sat  down  one 
day,  under  the  spreading  branches  of  a  venerable  tree, 
and  there  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  Bosphorus.  En- 
circled by  mountains,  it  lay  like  a  lake  before  us,  its 
blue  surface  broken  here  and  there  by  a  noble  looking 
ship.  The  Turkish  fleet  is  at  present  at  anchor  in  the 
bay  of  Buyukdere,  and  the  red  flag,  with  a  white  cres- 
cent, is  waving  from  nearly  every  mast-head  in  sight. 
From  my  elevated  seat  that  day,  I  counted  forty-seven 
different  vessels,  not  all  of  them  Turkish,  a  few  being 
French  and  English.  Down  the  Bosphorus,  I  saw  the 
houses  of  Therapia  and  Yenicue,  and  on  the  opposite 
shore  of  Asia,  the  new  palace  which  either  Abbas  Pacha 
is  building  for  the  Sultan,  or  the  Sultan  for  Abbas 
Pacha,  I  don't  exactly  know  which.  The  hills  that 


LETTERS.  81 

border  the  Bosphorus  are  beautifully  shaped,  not  sharp 
and  prominent,  but  gently  rolling,  with  green,  round 
tops,  and  often  with  wooded  sides. 

Opposite  to  us,  rose  the  Giant's  mountain,  and  just 
beyond,  the  ruins  of  the  Genoese  castle,  while  still 
farther  on,  the  Black  Sea  opened.  What  a  beautiful 
scene  it  was !  And  the  little  caiques  flew  hither  and 
thither  like  birds  over  the  water,  and  the  gallant  ship 
sailed  majestically  by,  and  the  noisy  steamer  puffed  and 
wheezed,  and  notwithstanding  all  this  life  and  activity,, 
the  blue  waters  looked  as  calm  and  motionless,  as  though 
never  stirred  by  a  breeze.  Again  I  repeat,  what  lovely- 
scenes  the  Bosphorus  constantly  presents. 

Last  Friday,  we  went  down  to  the  valley  of  "  sweet 
waters"  on  the  Asiatic  side,  about  half  way  between- 
this  and  Constantinople.  It  is  a  lovely  valley,  but  the 
grass  now  is  crisp  and  yellow,  as  though  suffering  from 
drought.  Along  the  "  sweet  waters,"  dozens  of  caiques 
were  moored,  and  under  every  tree,  and  in  every  little 
glade,  sat  groups  of  people,  their  gay  colors  in  pretty 
contrast  with  the  foliage  above  them.  Rich  carpets 
and  cushions  were  spread  on  the  ground,  carriages 
decked  with  gilded  carvings  were  drawn  up  under  the 
trees,  while  the  horses  quietly  grazed  around  ;  strolling 
bands  of  musicians  showed  off  their  skill,  jugglers 
played  their  wonderful  tricks,  handsome  children  gam- 
bolled on  the  grass  and  ran  from  tree  to  tree,  and  groups 
of  women,  in  their  white  yashmacks  and  their  cloaks  of 
gay  colors,  reclined  on  their  cushions  or  sauntered 
among  the  trees. 

A  little  hammock  was  hung  between  two  trees,  and 
there  a  mother  left  her  babe  asleep,  while  she  went 
down  to  a  rivulet  that  murmured  near,  and  washed  out 
6 


82  LETTERS. 

some  clothes,  leaving  them  on  the  grass  to  dry ;  so  she 
combined  work  and  pleasure  together.  Delicious  apri- 
cots, cherries,  green  gages  and  other  fruits  were  carried 
about  for  sale,  immense  cucumbers  were  seen  in  piles 
on  the  ground,  ices,  flavored  with  cherry,  but  looking 
as  though  colored  with  beets,  were  handed  round  in 
minute  tumblers,  and  a  great  variety  of  so-called  sher- 
bets were  displayed  on  every  side. 

Families  assembled  in  groups  under  the  trees,  and 
the  baskets  of  provisions  were  opened,  cucumbers,  bread 
and  fruit  being  the  principal  contents,  and  every  one 
seemed  to  be  happy  and  contented.  How  many  times 
we  said  to  each  other,  "  Why  cannot  our  people  at  home 
oftener  give  themselves  up  to  such  innocent  pleasures 
and  recreation?"  The  Americans,  as  a  nation,  know 
little  of  what  people  in  the  East  consider  the  enjoy- 
ment of  life,  and  they  really  seem  to  look  upon  time 
spent  away  from  business  and  duty,  as  time  lost.  Yet 
how  much  happier,  how  much  healthier  would  they  be, 
if  they  would  but  pass  a  little  more  time  in  the  open 
air,  away  from  the  cares  of  the  counting-house  and  the 
shop,  and  the  drudgery  of  every  day  life  in  the  house. 

July  4th.  Our  national  jubilee  was  ushered  in  this 
morning  by  the  news  of  the  safe  arrival  of  the  wanderer 
from  the  wars,  and  if  any  salutes  had  been  fired,  it 
might  have  been  a  matter  of  dispute  whether  they  were 
in  honor  of  the  day,  or  of  his  return.  The  Ameri- 
cans residing  in  Pera  and  its  environs,  intended  having 
a  pic-nic  to-day,  near  "  the  sweet  waters"  of  Asia,  but 
quite  contrary  to  the  usual  custom  on  the  Fourth  of 
July,  the  rain  poured  down  in  such  torrents  during  the 
whole  morning,  as  to  effectually  wash  away  all  ideas  of 
.a  pic-nic.  There  have  been  several  showers  since  our 


L  E  T  T  EJR  S .  83 

arrival  here,  but  this  is  the  only  real  pouring  rain  we 
have  seen  since  we  were  at  Jerusalem,  nearly  three 
months,  which  is  certainly  a  long  interval  of  pleasant 
weather. 

Sunday  Evening-,  9th.  This  is  our  last  day  at  Bu- 
yukdere,  for  to-morrow  we  leave  for  Athens,  and  after 
a  sojourn  of  nearly  six  weeks  among  the  lovely  scenes 
of  the  Bosphorus,  you  may  be  sure  I  feel  quite  sadly  at 
bidding  them  adieu,  doubtful,  as  it  is,  if  I  shall  ever 
see  them  more. 

Independent  of  the  pleasure  I  have  experienced  from 
visiting  so  many  beautiful  spots  about  here,  my  long  stay 
has  not  been  altogether  in  vain,  for  by  laboring  dili- 
gently three  or  four  hours  a  day,  I  have  been"  enabled 
to  bring  up  that  tardy  journal  of  mine,  and  to  arrange 
my  notes  and  memoranda  in  a  business-like  way,  so  that 
I  go  away  from  here  lightened  of  the  heavy  load  of  care 
that  a  journal,  deplorably  in  arrears,  brings  upon  one. 

Since  my  last  entry  in  this  lengthened  out  epistle,  I 
have  taken  a  long  walk  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  in 
rear  of  our  hotel,  and  enjoyed  another  extensive  view 
of  the  windings  of  the  Bosphorus,  even  getting  a  glimpse 
of  some  of  the  minarets  of  Constantinople.  I  have 
been  again  to  the  Black  Sea,  and  again  landed  upon  the 
Symplegades.  And  more  than  all  else,  I  have  been  on 
the  Bosphorus  by  moonlight,  when  its  beauties  seemed 
more  enchanting  and  picturesque  than  ever. 

I  have  once  more  braved  the  steamings  and  sousings 
and  scrubbings  of  a  Turkish  bath,  bearing  up  under  all, 
with  the  hope  that  some  of  the  traces  of  the  sun  of 
Arabia  and  Syria  might  be  washed  and  steamed  away, 
but  no  such  favorable  consequence  seems  to  have  ensued. 

This  morning,  at  the  request  of  Lady  G.,  Mr.  E.  read 


84  LETTERS. 

prayers  in  her  drawing  room,  and  though  the  congrega- 
tion was  small,  it  was  a  select  one,  consisting  of  Lord 
and  Lady  G.,  the  wives  of  two  officers  in  the  English 
army,  Mr.  M.  and  his  wife,  occupying  for  many  years  a 
prominent  station  in  the  British  possessions  in  North 
America,  the  family  of  the  American  Ambassador,  and 
our  fellow  traveller  in  the  Desert,  Mr.  R.,  son  of  Gen- 
eral R.  A  more  pleasant  circle  than  this,  it  has  not 
often  been  our  lot  to  meet  while  travelling,  and  it  is  one 
of  my  sources  of  regret  at  leaving  this  place,  that  I 
must  say  good  bye  to  so  many  agreeable  acquaintances. 
And  this  is  my  last  letter  from  Buyukdere,  and  I  go 
to  the  window  and  take  one  more  view  of  the  dark 
mountain  rising  beyond,  and  to  the  terrace,  and  gaze 
once  more  upon  the  Bosphorus,  shining  "  beneath  the 
moon's  soft  gleam,"  and  for  the  thousandth  time  I  say, 
"How  lovely  it  is!" 


LETTER    LV. 

Departure  from  Buyukdere. — Austrian  Steamer. — Scene  on  Board. — 
Beautiful  Girl. — Dardanelles. — Mitylene. — Isles  of  Greece. — Smyrna. — 
Austrian  Officer. — Delos. — Syra. — Quarantine. — Discomfort. — Arrival 
at  Athens. — Palace. — Hotel  des  Etrangeres. 

ATHENS,  July  14th. 
Mr  DEAR  S. : 

If  there  is  one  time  more  than  another  when  a  trav- 
eller feels  especially  uncomfortable,  it  is  the  first  few 
hours  after  arriving  at  a  strange  place.  This  has  been 
especially  our  case  this  morning,  because  the  rooms  we 
are  to  occupy  are  not  yet  vacant,  and  I  can't  begin  to 
unpack,  because  trunks  and  boxes  and  portmanteaus 


LETTERS.  85 

must  all  be  moved  in  a  little  time.  I  can't  read,  for 
two  reasons ;  I  am  not  in  a  mood  for  it,  and  if  I  were, 
I  have  nothing  to  read,  and  at  last  I  have  unlocked  my 
desk,  to  spend  my  dullness  on  you,  which  I  hope  you 
will  receive  as  a  great  compliment,  imputing  to  you,  as 
it  does,  the  power  to  chase  away  my  unquiet  spirit. 

"We  left  Buyukdere  Monday  morning,  J.  in  the  steam- 
boat, with  the  luggage,  and  I  in  the  caique  belonging 
to  Mr.  Spence.  It  was  excessively  hot,  the  usual  cool 
breeze  from  the  Black  Sea  not  having  made  its  appear- 
ance ;  but  in  despite  of  the  scorching  sun,  I  looked  long 
and  well  at  all  my  favorite  views  on  the  Bosphorus.  We 
were  only  two  hours  in  rowing  down,  and  we  found  in 
the  harbor  of  Constantinople,  what  we  failed  to  find 
higher  up,  a  good  breeze.  I  spent  two  or  three  hours 
in  the  bazaars,  making  my  last  purchases,  and  taking 
my  last  look,  and  I  can  assure  you  it  was  with  quite  a 
heavy  heart  and  a  languid  step  I  went  from  place  to 
place,  often  whispering  sadly  to  myself,  "  It  is  the  last 
time !" 

With  our  usual  punctuality,  we  were  early  on  board 
the  Austrian  Steamer  L'Imperatrice,  though  this  time, 
the  merit  was  not  due  to  our  punctuality,  but  because 
we  had  nothing  particular  to  Keep  us  on  shore.  We  were 
anchored  in  front  of  Seraglio  Point,  and  for  a  long  time 
I  amused  myself  with  looking  at  the  old  Palace  peeping 
out  from  her  gardens,  and  the  domes  and  minarets  of 
St.  Sophia  and  Sultan  Achmet,  rising  up  in  the  rear. 
Then  I  looked  up  and  down  the  Bosphorus  as  far  as  I 
could  see,  and  up  the  Golden  Horn,  and  over  to  Scutari, 
the  cypress  crowned  city,  and  saw  the  busy  steamers, 
and  the  countless  little  caiques  go  by,  and  then  my  eyes 
grew  weary  with  looking  abroad,  and  I  turned  my  at- 


86  LETTERS. 

tention  to  the  motley  groups  on  the  decks.  Near  me 
was  a  fat  Turk,  making  his  bed  comfortable  for  the 
night,  (for  second  class  passengers  are  admitted  to  the 
quarter  deck  in  these  countries,)  and  in  immediate  prox- 
imity to  him  was  a  devout  Mussulman,  going  through 
his  stated  forms  of  prayer.  On  one  side,  was  a  party 
of  Greek  and  Italian  gentlemen  bidding  adieu  to  each 
other,  with  a  multitude  of  embraces  and  loud  smacking 
kisses,  and  on  the  other,  was  a  number  of  veiled  Turk- 
ish women,  in  great  grief  at  parting  from  some  of  their 
companions,  while  a  pretty  little  child  in  the  company 
amused  me  with  her  fruitless  attempts  to  squeeze  a  few 
tears  from  her  eyes.  A  beautiful  Turkish  girl,  followed 
by  an'old  nurse,  and  two  or  three  male  servants,  threw 
the  whole  deck  in  a  bustle,  by  her  numerous  attendants 
arranging  cushions,  chairs  and  various  etceteras  for  the 
comfort  of  the  youthful  beauty,  one  handing  her  a 
glass  of  water,  one  a  smelling  bottle,  and  a  third  a  gold- 
en lemon,  which  she  occasionally  held  to  her  nose,  in 
her  slender  fingers,  delicately  tipped  with  henna.  She 
politely  offered  me  her  smelling  bottle,  which  I  found 
filled  with  a  delicious  perfume,  and  motioned  for  me  to 
put  some  on  my  handkerchief.  I  had  not  looked  at 
her  long,  for  as  she  took  the  liberty  of  staring  at  me,  I 
had  no  hesitation  in  gazing  at  her,  before  I  was  satisfied 
that  young  as  she  was,  her  sun  would  soon  be  set.  Be- 
neath the  pure  folds  of  her  yashrnack,  I  saw  the  hectic 
flush  grow  deeper  and  deeper,  while  the  quick  heaving 
of  the  purple  cloak  in  which  she  was  closely  wrapped, 
showed  with  what  difficulty  she  breathed,  and  as  if 
these  symptoms  were  not  sufficient  to  betray  her  doom, 
a  hollow  cough  often  shook  convulsively  her  slender 
figure.  So  many  persons  on  board  seemed  to  show  her 


LETTERS.  87 

attentions,  that  I  was  curious  to  know  who  she  was, 
and  I  soon  found  out  she  belonged  to  the  harem  of 
Redschid  Pacha,  who  was  sending  her  to  "  Scio's  rocky 
isle,"  for  her  health. 

The  clatter  of  tongues  was  as  confusing  to  the  ear, 
as  the  medley  of  strange  figures  to  the  eye.  At  one 
moment  I  caught  a  familiar  sentence  in  French  or 
Italian,  the  next  I  heard  nought  but  German  or  Greek, 
which  in  their  turn,  were  quickly  displaced  by  Turkish 
or  mayhap  English.  Hour  after  hour  passed,  and  there 
seemed  no  prospect  of  departing.  The  lengthened 
shadows  fell,  and  still  "  St.  Sophia's  gleaming  dome" 
was  before  us.  In  answer  to  inquiries  concerning  the 
delay,  we  were  told  the  steamer  was  waiting  for  de- 
spatches. I  grew  impatient,  not  that  I  thought  the  de- 
spatches would  prove  of  any  importance  to  me,  but 
having  eaten  nothing  since  eight  o'clock,  my  appetite 
was  becoming  more  and  more  ravenous,  till  I  had  seri- 
ous thoughts  of  snatching  at  a  cucumber  and  piece  of 
bread  I  saw  beside  the  fat  Turk  in  front  of  me.  A 
sleep  too  of  less  than  five  hours  the  night  before,  owing 
to  the  persevering  songs  of  my  Arab  "  roarer,"  added 
to  the  fatigue  and  heat  of  the  day,  did  not  contribute 
much  to  the  buoyancy  of  my  frame,  and  it  would  not 
have  taken  many  drops  more,  to  have  made  my  cup  run 
over  with  a  discomforting  draught.  But  fortunately  at 
that  critical  moment,  an  officer  appeared  with  a  bundle 
of  papers,  elaborately  dotted  with  red  seals,  the  mate 
and  helmsman  took  their  station  at  the  wheel,  the  word 
was  given  to  "  make  ready,"  and  in  the  same  breath 
dinner  was  announced.  While  dinner  was  progressing 
however,  so  was  not  the  boat,  for  after  turning  round, 
she  once  more  stopped  beneath  the  shadows  of  the  walls 


88  LETTERS. 

and  trees  of  Seraglio  Point,  and  just  as  we  came  up 
from  dinner,  the  mighty  mass  was  again  put  in  motion, 
and  towers,  and  walls,  and  domes,  and  minarets  began 
to  fade  away  in  the  evening  light.  The  seven  hilled 
city  was  soon  far  in  the  rear,  and  Constantinople,  "  the 
magnificent"  disappeared,  I  fear,  forever  from  our  gaze. 

Four  nights  and  three  days,  we  spent  in  that  steam- 
er, and  although  we  had  a  good  state-room,  and  a  table, 
amply  spread,  though  wanting  in  many  of  the  delicacies, 
which  had  been  our  portion  while  in  the  French  steam- 
ers, I  rarely  passed  more  uncomfortable  nights  and 
days.  The  weather  was  intensely  hot,  and  though  at 
times  there  was  a  good  breeze  on  deck,  the  cabin  was 
intolerable,  and  sleep  almost  entirely  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. I  would  gladly  have  slept  on  dedL,  but  it  was 
not  deemed  prudent  to  brave  the  night  air,  and  I  bowed 
to  the  stern  demands  of  prudence,  and  yielded  my 
comfort,  and  what  is  sometimes  as  dear  to  me,  my  will. 

"We  passed  so  many  interesting  spots  during  the  day, 
that  I  could  always  manage  to  get  along  quite  comfort- 
ably, but  the  nights  were  insupportable.  Tormented 
by  fleas,  with  the  additional  help  of  a  few  bed-bugs,  ex- 
hausted with  the  heat,  consumed  by  a  raging  thirst, 
that  could  not  be  quenched  by  the  lukewarm  water  on 
board,  I  knew  no  peace  or  rest,  and  was  glad  when  I 
could  go  on  deck  and  snuff  the  fresh  air. 

When  I  got  up  on  Tuesday  morning,  we  were  at 
Gallipoli,  but  no  one  was  allowed  to  land  on  account 
of  cholera  there.  Then,  we  entered  the  Dardanelles, 
or  Hellespont,  a  narrow  strait,  which  connects  the  Sea 
•of  Marmora  with  the  Archipelago.  The  scenery  along 
the  shores  of  the  Dardanelles  cannot  begin  to  compare 
in  beauty  to  that  of  the  Bosphorus ;  the  hills  are  bold 


LETTERS.  89 

and  grand  in  their  outline,  but  they  look  rocky  and 
bare,  though  I  am  told  a  month  earlier,  they  were  cov- 
ered with  verdure,  but  around  those  hills  many  a  stir- 
ring scene  has  taken  place.  The  Scamander,  in  whose 
limpid  waters  Venus  bathed  before  contending  for  the 
prize  of  beauty,  Mount  Ida,  famous  in  classic  lore,  the 
plains  of  Troy,  the  place  across  the  Hellespont,  where 
the  invader  Xerxes  threw  his  bridge,  the  spot  where 
once  stood  the  "  torch-lit  tower"  of  Abydos,  the  story 
of  Leander,  who  nightly  swam  across  the  straits  that 
separated  him  from  his  lady  love,  the  islands  that  are 
set  like  gems  at  the  entrance  of  the  Dardanelles  into 
the  sea,  these  and  many  other  objects  of  interest,  kept 
our  attention  alive  the  whole  day. 

As  we  entered  the  sea,  Imbros  was  on  our  right, 
Tenedos  on  the  left,  and  Lemnos  rising  up  before  us. 
These  islands  all  look  sere  and  brown  now,  though  in 
many  places  I  saw  the  hills  terraced  to  their  very  sum- 
mits, where  the  vine  had  been  planted.  In  fact  Tene- 
dos has,  for  a  long  time,  been  celebrated  for  its  wines. 

Later,  we  were  skirting  Mitylene,  one  of  the  largest 
islands  in  the  Archipelago,  which  carries  on  an  ex- 
tensive commerce  with  the  neighboring  ports.  Its  prin- 
cipal charm  to  me,  was  its  being  the  birth-place  of 
Sappho,  "  burning  Sappho,"  as  Byron  calls  her,  and 
from  its  having  been  visited  by  St.  Paul. 

As  we  glided  in  and  out  among  these  islands,  rising 
abruptly  from  the  blue  sea,  I  repeated  more  than  a  hun- 
dred times, 

"  The  Isles  of  Greece,  the  Isles  of  Greece ! 

Where  burning  Sappho  loved  and  sung, 
Where  grew  the  arts  of  war  and  peace, 

Where  Delos  rose  and  Phcebus  sprung  ! 
Eternal  summer  gilds  them  yet, 

But  all,  except  their  sun,  is  set." 


90  LETTERS. 

Every  island  has  its  tale  of  love  and  poesy  and  song, 
and  each,  alas !  has  its  own  bloody  record  of  Turkish 
ravage  and  Mohammedan  fanaticism. 

Late  that  night  we  anchored  in  the  Gulf  of  Smyr- 
na, directly  before  the  town,  and  as  I  came  on  deck 
the  next  morning,  I  started  at  the  change  eight  short 
weeks  had  made,  for  the  hills  we  had  left  green  and 
bright,  were  now  parched  and  brown,  and  when  I  went 
down  to  breakfast  I  had  still  more  convincing  proofs 
that  the  season  had  advanced  with  rapid  strides,  for  on 
the  table,  were  large  clusters  of  rich,  purple  grapes ! 
Grateful  sight  to  parched  lips  and  feverish  frames ! 

We  went  on  shore,  and  walked  in  the  bazaars,  looking 
tame  and  dull  after  those  of  Constantinople,  and  more 
especially  so  that  day,  as  all  those  kept  by  the  Greeks 
were  closed  on  account  of  some  festival.  And  this  re- 
minds me  that  the  day  before,  being  that  observed  by 
the  Greeks  in  honor  of  St.  Peter,  though  his  festival 
was  kept  by  the  rest  of  the  Christian  church  twelve  days 
before,  two  Greek  gentlemen  on  board  both  having  the 
name  of  Peter,  treated  all  at  table,  at  breakfast  and 
dinner  with  champagne,  and  I  dare  say  some  on  board 
would  gladly  have  had  St.  Peter's  day  come  again,  if 
they  could  have  thus  observed  it. 

Passing  through  the  ladies'  cabin '  that  evening,  I 
found  the  young  Turkish  girl  asleep  on  a  sofa,  and  as 
she  was  without  her  yashmack,  I  stopped  to  look  at  her 
unveiled  charms.  Fair  and  delicate  as  a  lily,  her  jetty 
eyebrows  and  long  silken  lashes,  were  in  charming  con- 
trast to  the  delicate  skin,  and  the  henna-tipped  nails 
set  off  the  white  fingers,  to  good  advantage.  A  short 
skirt  and  loose  trousers  of  thin  muslin,  enveloped,  as  in 
a  cloud,  her  slender  figure,  and  her  long  black  hair  was 


LETTERS.  91 

negligently  gathered  under  an  embroidered  handker- 
chief. How  lovely  she  was !  Perhaps  she  had  been 
the  light  and  joy  of  the  harem,  the  favored  one  of  the 
master,  the  despised  by  the  mistress  because  she  enjoy- 
ed the  favor  of  her  lord,  but  now  she  is  for  a  while  shut 
out  from  the  smiles  of  the  one,  and  the  frowns  of  the 
other. 

All  day  we  were  anchored  off  Smyrna,  but  towards 
evening  the  anchor  was  up,  and  we  were  once  more  on 
our  way.  Down  the  gulf  of  Smyrna  we  went,  cleaving 
the  transparent  waters,  the  mountains  rising  around  us, 
the  white  houses  of  Smyrna  behind,  the  deep  blue  sea 
before. 

But  here  a  new  occurence  arose,  that  for  a  time  ef- 
fectually interfered  with  our  quiet  contemplation  of  the 
scene  around  us.  A  company  of  Austrian  officers, 
from  a  ship  in  the  harbor,  had  come  on  board,  accom- 
panied by  a  number  of  their  companions.  Much  wine 
was  drunk,  and  perhaps  something  stronger,  and  a  great 
deal  of  kissing  followed,  and  then  a  part  went  back  to 
the  ship,  while  the  remainder,  it  seemed,  was  going  to 
Trieste.  The  first  lieutenant  was  ingloriously  drunk, 
and  staggered  about  our  deck,  singing  snatches  of  songs, 
and  then  stopping  to  cheer  the  ship  as  we  passed  her. 
At  last,  to  the  great  annoyance  of  the  ladies,  he  climbed 
up  into  one  of  the  boats,  and  commenced  a  succession 
of  cheers,  and  this  he  repeated  several  times,  each  time 
at  the  imminent  risk  of  pitching  overboard.  Our  Cap- 
tain seeing  the  annoyance  of  the  ladies,  tried  to  prevail 
upon  him  to  desist,  but  he  swore  at  the  Captain,  and 
again  staggered  up  into  the  boat.  Soon  after,  he  went 
down  into  the  cabin,  in  a  violent  rage,  and  on  some  one 
approaching  him,  he  drew  his  sword,  and  thrusting 


92  LETTERS. 

right  and  left,  made  sad  havoc  among  the  dishes  on  the 
table,  frightening  a  Greek  lady  into  hysterics,  and  clear- 
ing the  cabin  of  those  who  had  ventured  to  oppose  him. 
All  at  once,  as  though  he  feared  he  might  do  violence, 

he  went  up  to  J who  was  standing  near,  and  giving 

him  his  sword,  begged  him  to  keep  it  for  the  sake  of  his 
honor,  but  just  then,  some  one  appearing  at  the  door, 
against  whom  he  had  some  fancied  repugnance,  he  flew 
at  his  supposed  enemy,  threatening  to  kill  him,  wrest- 
ling for  his  sword  with  J who  refused  to  give  it  up. 

Some  of  his  brother  officers  stood  by,  but  they  were 
afraid  to  intermeddle,  as  he  was  of  a  higher  grade  than 
they  were,  and  I  don't  know  what  would  have  been  the 
end  of  the  conflict,  if  the  engineer  of  the  boat  had  not 
gone  to  J's  assistance.  The  sword  was  locked  up  in 
our  state-room,  and  the  officer  dragged  off  to  bed,  and 
in  a  few  hours  he  came  upon  the  deck,  and  walked 
about  as  though  nothing  had  happened.  The  Captain 
takes  no  notice  of  him,  but  he  vows  he  will  report  the 
case  to  the  proper  authorities,  and  the  lieutenant  may 
have  to  pay  dear  for  his  glass  too  much,  at  bidding  adieu 
to  his  ship-mates. 

That  night  I  was  awakened  by  the  stopping  of  the 
boat,  and  the  sound  of  voices  along  side.  I  peeped  out 
of  the  port-hole,  and  saw  "  Scio's  rocky  isle"  looming 
up  before  us.  The  dash  of  oars  followed,  and  a  boat 
pulled  off  from  the  steamer,  bearing  the  Turkish  girl 
and  her  attendants  to  the  shore.  May  the  soft  breezes 
of  the  sea-girt  isle,  bring  health  and  strength  to  that 
lovely,  drooping  flower ! 

Still  among  "  the  isles  of  Greece,"  for  on  going  on 
deck  yesterday  morning,  a  cluster  of  them  was  around 
us,  Tenos  on  the  right,  Mycenos  and  Delos  on  the  left, 


LETTERS.  93 

and  Syra,  rising  up  from  the  sea,  far  ahead.  The  town 
of  St.  Nicholas  in  the  island  of  Tenos,  presented  a  pic- 
turesque appearance  from  the  sea.  The  houses  are  all 
of  white  stone,  and  are  scattered  over  the  hills,  clusters 
of  them  peeping  out  from  green  trees,  while  to  the  right 
and  left  of  the  town,  the  hills  are  terraced  off  for  the 
culture  of  the  vine.  These  hills  must  present  a  beauti- 
ful appearance  in  the  early  summer,  when  vegetation  is 
at  its  height,  but  now  the  most  of  them  look  brown  and 
bare. 

Delos  is  a  small  island,  but  celebrated  in  classic  lore, 
as  the  birth-place  of  Apollo,  and  the  seat  of  an  oracle, 
second  only  in  sanctity  to  that  of  Delphi,  but  now  its 
ancient  glories  have  passed  away,  and  but  few  remains 
are  left  of  its  former  magnificence. 

About  ten  o'clock  we  arrived  in  the  harbor  of  Syra, 
and  there  we  lay  twelve  hours,  not  that  there  was  any 
thing  for  us  to  do,  but  because  it  is  the  quarantine 
ground  for  the  Levant,  and  never  did  I  experience  such 
heat  as  we  felt  that  day.  The  scorching  sun  of  Nubia, 
the  arid  plains  and  hills  of  the  Desert,  were  cool  com- 
pared to  the  close,  sultry  air  in  the  bay  of  Syra. 
The  live-long  day,  not  a  breeze  ruffled  the  blue  waters, 
not  a  breath  fanned  our  hot  faces.  Once  we  were  call- 
ed to  pass  before  the  Doctor  of  the  port,  and  as  we  had 
to  go  to  the  other  end  of  the  steamer,  turn  round  and 
come  back,  that  he  might  judge  of  the  state  of  health 
of  all  on  board,  I  really  thought  I  should  get  a 
sun-stroke  in  that  slow  march  around  the  ship,  but  I 
held  up  my  head  very  bravely,  and  walked  as  firmly,  as 
though  I  feared  nothing,  because  I  was  afraid  if  I  look- 
ed at  all  drooping,  he  might  pounce  upon  me  as  a  pa- 


94  LETTERS. 

tient,  which  would  have  been  more  formidable  to  me 
than  the  heat. 

The  harbor  of  Syra  is  almost  shut  in  by  hills,  and 
at  the  entrance,  is  a  rocky  island,  on  which  stands  a 
tall  light-house.  In  front  of  us,  rose  the  town,  the 
white  houses  glaring  down  upon  us  in  the  fierce  sun. 
A  conical  hill,  looking  like  an  immense -sugar-loaf,  rises 
up  in  the  very  centre  of  the  town,  covered  all  up  its 
sides  with  white  houses,  and  terminating  at  the  very 
summit  in  a -palace-like  looking  edifice.  On  either  side 
of  this  hill,  the  town  extends  like  two  huge  wings,  and 
amid  all  the  mass  of  white  houses,  I  could  scarcely  see 
a  tree,  or  anything  to  break  the  glare  of  light.  At  lit- 
tle distances  from  the  town,  however,  I  saw  villas  peep- 
ing out  from  verdant  groves,  and  then  the  white  houses 
looked  pretty,  contrasted  with  the  green  around  them. 

On  one  side  of  the  town  is  a  large  Lazaretto,  for  those 
who  are  obliged  to  perform  quarantine  on  shore,  and 
hot  as  it  was  on  board,  I  was  sure  it  was  far  more  com- 
fortable, than  being  on  that  rocky  hill,  totally  devoid  as 
it  seemed  of  all  vegetation.  A  great  deal  of  shipping 
was  in  the  harbor,  for  independent  of  all  vessels  being 
obliged  to  stop  here  twelve  hours  for  quarantine, 
Syra  is  a  place  of  great  commercial  importance,  and 
ships  from  all  nations  trade  here.  It  is  celebrated  for 
its  schools  too,  there  being  more  than  two  thousand 
scholars  in  the  different  schools. 

Towards  evening,  a  delicious  breeze  sprung  up,  and 
it  came  to  our  exhausted  frames  like  a  gale  from  Para- 
dise. Faint  with  the  heat  of  the  day,  I  spread  my  shawl 
upon  the  deck,  and  taking  a  rock-like  cushion  for  my 
pillow,  I  gave  myself  up  to  meditation.  Like  the  sun, 
every  evening  I  flee  to  the  west,  and  as  twilight  comes 


LETTERS.  95 

on,  I  am  duly  in  my  far-distant  home,  seeing  loved 
faces,  and  listening  to  familiar  voices.  But  that  night, 
shall  I  confess  it !  I  was  not  thinking  so  much  of  the 
dear  ones  at  home,  as  of  one  of  the  comforts  and  luxu- 
ries of  that  home,  and  as  plainly  as  I  now  see  the  paper 
before  me,  did  I  see  a  large  wagon  with  "  ICE,"  on 
it  in  great  letters,  stop  before  our  door  and  leave  its 
cold,  white  burden.  I  reached  out  my  hand  to  take  a 
piece,  and  carry  it,  to  my  fervent  lips,  and  then  I  found 
it  was  all  a  delusion !  I  was  no  longer  at  home,  but  in 
the  far-off  East,  the  white  houses  of  Syra  gleaming  in 
the  misty  light,  and  a  few  bright  stars  looking  down 
from  the  clear  sky. 

How  rough  it  was  last  night !  The  steamer  rose  with 
one  wave,  only  to  plunge  down  with  another ;  she  rolled 
to  the  right,  only  to  return  back  with  renewed  violence 
to  the  left,  and  then  withal,  the  air  was  so  hot  and  suf- 
focating, that  rest  and  comfort  were  not  to  be  thought 
of,  excepting  as  things  we  sometimes  "  read  about." 

At  last  the  morning  dawned,  and  with  it  came  a  lull 
of  the  sea,  and  soon  we  entered  the  harbor  of  Piraeus, 
the  port  of  Athens.  In  a  few  minutes, -we  were  ready 
to  come  on  shore,  but  we  were  not  allowed  to  land  so 
easily,  for  an  abundance  of  formalities  had  to  be  en- 
countered, before  we  could  leave  the  ship,  bills  of  health 
signed,  and  I  don't  know  what  else,  but  at  length  all 
was  in  readiness,  our  baggage  was  stowed  away  in  a 
small  boat,  which  we  entered,  and  in  a  few  minutes  our 
feet  pressed  the  soil  of  Greece ! 

A  small  sum  of  money,  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 
custom  house  officers,  prevented  the  delay  of  having  the 
luggage  examined,  and  when  trunk  and  box,  saddle 
and  saddle-bag,  carpet-bag  and  portmanteau  were  duly 


96  LETTEES. 

arranged,  we  jumped  into  a  carriage,  a  luxury  almost 
unknown  to  us  for  months,  and  were  soon  rolling  to- 
wards Athens.  The  road  was  good,  bordered  in  many 
places  by  vineyards,  and  groves  of  fig  and  olive  trees, 
and  after  a  ride  of  about  five  miles,  we  entered  the  streets 
of  Athens,  and  in  a  few  minutes  were  at  the  Hotel  des 
Etrangeres,  which  had  been  previously  recommended 
to  us.  It  is  situated  on  the  square,  at  the  head  of 
which  stands  the  Palace,  a  handsome  building  of  white 
stone,  ornamented  with  porticoes,  window  frames  and 
cornices  of  Pentelican  marble.  In  front,  it  is  separated 
from  the  street,  by  a  pretty  garden  surrounded  by  a 
hedge  of  oleander  and  cactus.  Near  by  the  garden,  is 
a  large  and  handsome  house,  occupied  by  the  French 
ambassador,  while  on  the  right  is  our  hotel,  with  two  or 
three  houses.  The  other  end  of  the  square  is  adorned 
with  fine  houses,  all  of  stone,  stuccoed,  and  painted 
white  or  yellow,  with  steps  and  window  frames  of  white 
marble.  Each  house  has  little  balconies  in  the  second 
and  third  stories,  and  thus  far  I  find  modern  Athens  a 
much  better  looking  town  than  I  had  any  idea  of  seeing. 
But  I  must  leave  a  further  description  of  it  to  future 
acquaintance. 


LETTERS.  97 


LETTER    LVI. 

Situation  of  Athens. — Stadium. — Fountain  of  Callirrhoe. — Thyme. — Tem- 
ple of  Jupiter  Olympus. — Ruins  of  Greece. — Arch  of  Hadrian. — Monu- 
ment of  Lysicrates. — Acropolis. — Parthenon. — Temple  of  Victory 
without  wings. — The  Erectheum. — View  from  the  Acropolis. — Tomb 
of  Miller. — Garden  of  Plato. — Sunset. 

ATHENS,  July  15th. 
MY  DEAR  FRIENDS  : 

I  begin  my  description  of  Athens  by  giving  you  a 
short  sketch  of  its  locality,  that  you  may  better  under- 
stand my  account  of  it.  It  is  situated  about  five  miles 
from  the  sea,  in  the  central  plain  of  Attica,  which  is 
bounded  on  the  north-west  by  Mount  Parnes,  on  the 
north-east  by  Mount  Pentelicus,  on  the  south-east  by 
Mount  Hymettus,  and  on  the  west  by  Mount  ^Egaleos  ; 
on  the  south  it  opens  on  the  Gulf  of  Salamis.  The 
most  prominent  eminence  in  the  whole  plain  is  a  coni- 
cal hill,  rocky  at  the  top,  and  surmounted  by  a  church, 
and  this  is  Mount  Lycabettus.  From  its  summit,  the 
view  is  said  to  be  delightful,  but  I  have  not  yet  been 
tempted  to  judge  for  myself.  The  weather  is  so  very 
hot  here,  we  are  warned  against  being  out  in  the  heat 
of  the  day,  and  thus  far,  we  have  only  been  out  early 
in  the  morning,  and  after  dinner,  which  is  served  at 
five  o'clock.  For  the  comfort  of  travellers  wishing  to 
come  to  Athens  in  the  Summer,  however,  I  must  say 
the  heat  is  not  so  intense,  as  from  the  accounts  I  heard 
I  expected  to  find  it,  and  generally  there  has  been  a 
delicious  breeze,  even  while  the  sun  has  been  very  hot. 

But  to  return  to  the  boundaries  of  Athens.  South- 
west of  Lycabettus,  are  four  hills,  all  included  within 
7 


98  LETTERS. 

the  ancient  city ;  the  first  is  the  Acropolis,  a  craggy 
rock  rising  several  hundred  feet  above  the  plain,  its  sum- 
mit crowned  with  the  world-famed  Parthenon.  Beyond 
the  Acropolis,  is  a  smaller  rocky  hill,  called  the  Areopa- 
gus, known  also  to  Scripture  readers  as  Mars  Hill, 
identified,  as  it  is,  with  the  stirring  address  of  St.  Paul 
to  the  "  men  of  Athens."  Still  farther  on,  are  the  hills 
known  by  the  names  of  the  Pnyx  and  the  Museum,  and 
of  all  of  these  I  shall  probably  have  a  little  to  say  here- 
after. On  the  southeast  of  the  city  runs  the  Ilissus, 
and  on  the  west  the  Cephissus,  but  both  of  these  rivers 
are  nearly  dry  at  this  season  of  the  year.  Now  that  I 
have  had  patience  to  write  this  long  geographical  descrip- 
tion, and  you  to  read  it,  I  will  pass  to  other  things. 

Our  first  business,  after  being  comfortably  settled  in 
our  rooms,  (which  open  on  the  square,  and  are  airy 
and  clean,)  was  to  engage  a  guide,  and  then  commence 
the  arduous  duty  of  sight-seeing.  A  fat  Greek,  Stratis 
by  name,  armed  with  a  book  full  of  credentials  from 
English  and  American  travellers,  was  selected  to  be  our 
guide,  to  the  great  disappointment  of  the  one  connected 
with  this  hotel,  who  speaks  only  French  and  Italian ; 
but  in  this  hot  weather,  it  is  too  much  of  an  effort  to 
listen  to  long  descriptions  in  a  foreign  tongue,  so  we 
preferred  one  who  could  speak  English. 

By  the  time  these  arrangements  were  duly  made,  it 
was  too  late  to  do  more  than  to  take  a  little  stroll 
through  the  streets,  which  we  found  quite  wide  and 
clean,  and  adorned  with  comfortable  houses.  We  ended 
the  day  by  calling  on  the  families  of  the  American  mis- 
sionaries, well  known  to  all  our  fellow-countrymen  for 
their  kind  and  hospitable  attentions. 

This  morning,  we  rose  before  five  o'clock,  and  after 


LETTERS.  99 

drinking  a  cup  of  tea,  and  munching  a  piece  of  bread, 
(for  it  is  said  to  be  unhealthy  to  go  out  without  previ- 
ously eating  and  drinking  something,)  we  started  to  see 
the  lions  of  Athens.  Willis  says  "  admiration  is  the 
most  exhausting  thing  in  the  world,"  and  I  may  add, 
it  is  particularly  so,  when  a  full  dose  is  taken  on  an 
almost  empty  stomach ;  and  by  the  time  we  had  been 
out  four  hours,  I,  for  one,  was  glad  to  come  home  and 
get  some  breakfast. 

But  now  let  me  recall,  in  a  consecutive  manner,  the 
places  of  interest  we  have  visited  to-day.  Leaving  the 
Palace  on  the  left,  we  walked  over  some  brown  hills, 
till  we  came  to  the  spot  where  once  stood  the  Stadium 
of  Athens.  It  covered  a  semicircular  hill  rising  from 
the  Ilissus,  and  formerly  had  rows  of  seats  of  white 
marble,  which  were  taken  away  by  the  barbaric  Turks. 
Here  the  races  took  place,  and  the  striver  for  the  victory, 
starting  from  the  lower  extremity,  ran  one  course  in  a 
straight  line,  and  turning  round  at  the  farther  end,  ran 
back  to  the  goal.  The  Stadium  now  presents  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  long  and  grass-grown  hollow,  and  a  trav- 
eller might  pass  it  many  times,  without  imagining  that 
here  occurred  some  of  the  most  stirring  scenes  of 
Athens. 

Crossing  •  the  bed  of  the  Ilissus,  almost  dried  up,  on 
the  banks  of  which  some  nymphs,  far  from  classical 
looking,  were  washing  clothes,  we  came  to  a  cave  run- 
ning under  a  hill.  Through  this  cave  we  walked,  and 
I  could  soon  have  wished  it  a  great  way  off,  for  in  it  we 
made  intimate  acquaintance  with  a  family  of  fleas, 
which  liked  our  company  so  well  that  they  were  unwil- 
ling to  leave  us,  and  after  pestering  us  almost  to  intol- 
erance the  remainder  of  our  walk,  we  waged  such 


100  L  E  T  T  E  E  S . 

mortal  warfare  with  them,  on  our  return  home,  that  in 
a  little  while  forty  lay  drowning  in  a  bowl  of  water ! 

A  little  farther  on,  we  came  to  the  fountain  of  Cal- 
lirrhoe,  which,  gushing  from  a  rock,  forms  a  little  basin 
in  a  shady  recess  in  the  hill.  From  this  fountain,  the 
water  was  formerly  conveyed  to  Athens  by  nine  large 
pipes  of  stone,  some  of  which  remain  to  this  day. 

The  hills  and  the  plains  over  which  we  walked  were 
covered  with  thyme,  and  the  fragrance  of  it  loaded  the 
air  with  rich  perfume.  All  up  the  sides  of  the  Hymet- 
tus,  these  beds  of  thyme  "  the  long,  long  summer  gild," 
and  from  them  the  bees  gather  the  sweets,  which  give 
the  honey  of  Athens  such  a  peculiarly  delicious  flavor. 

Very  soon  after  leaving  our  hotel,  we  came  in  sight 
of  a  ruined  temple,  and  I  eagerly  asked  what  it  was. 
"  The  temple  of  Jupiter  Olympus,"  answered  Strattis  ; 
and  so  picturesque  looked  its  tall  columns,  standing  out 
against  the  sky,  that  I  would  gladly  have  gone  immedi- 
ately to  examine  them  more  thoroughly,  but  the  guide 
had  his  usual  routine,  and  he  did  not  like  to  depart 
from  it,  but  now,  as  we  turned  from  the  fountain  of 
Callirrhoe,  and  recrossed  the  Ilissus,  the  temple  stood 
out  in  its  beauty  before  us,  and  I  was  glad  to  see  our 
steps  now  directed  towards  it. 

Of  the  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  columns  that 
once  adorned  the  various  parts  of  this  temple,  but  fifteen 
are  now  standing,  and  these  are  composed  of  blocks  of 
white  marble,  fluted,  and  having  capitals  richly  carved. 
They  are  about  sixty  feet  in  height  and  twenty-five  in 
circumference.  Part  of  the  frieze  over  some  of  the 
columns  is  yet  standing,  and  here,  seventy  feet  in  the 
air,  was  once  the  cell  of  a  monk.  How  he  got  up  there, 
I  know  not,  but  every  morning  he  lowered  a  little  basket 


LETTERS.  101 

from  his  lofty  dwelling,  and  some  pious  friends  were 
always  ready  to  load  it  with  the  necessaries,  and  even 
with  some  of  the  comforts  of  life. 

"We  are  told  that  travellers,  coming  here  from  the  West, 
are  delighted  with  these  and  other  ruins  of  Greece,  but 
those  coming  from  the  East  are  invariably  disappointed. 
Thus  far,  the  ruins  we  have  seen  here  are  certainly 
wanting  in  the  grandeur  and  majesty  and  far-reaching 
antiquity  that  throw  such  a  halo  over  the  mighty  ruins 
of  Egypt,  and  nought  that  the  whole  world  beside  can 
present,  can  compare  with  -them  in  these  points ;  but 
for  beauty  of  sculpture  and  design,  for  harmony  in  pro- 
portion and  detail,  for  exquisite  finish  in  all  its  parts, 
the  ruins  of  Greece  must  ever  stand  out  unrivalled.  So 
far  back  do  the  temples  and  monuments  of  Egypt  carry 
us,  that,  to  the  unlearned,  they  are  lost  in  the  obscurity 
of  ages,  but  the  ruins  of  Greece  are  of  so  modern  a 
date,  comparatively  speaking,  that  they  are  associated 
with  our  every  day  studies  and  reading.  The  inspira- 
tion of  the  poet  and  the  orator,  the  theme  of  the  histo- 
rian and  student,  the  subject  of  schoolboy  speeches  at 
examinations  and  exhibitions,  and  of  college  graduates 
at  Commencement,  Greece,  with  her  heroes  of  olden 
time,  her  stirring  scenes,  her  hard  fought  battles  and 
glorious  victories,  seems  a  part  of  our  own  life,  our  own 
history,  and  he  who  can  walk  among  her  ruins,  her  re- 
mains of  former  greatness  and  power,  he  who  can  press 
the  soil  once  trodden  by  Pericles,  and  Themistocles,  and 
Demosthenes,  and  Plato,  and  Socrates,  and  a  host  of 
other  worthies,  -and  not  be  moved,  not  feel  high  and 
noble  thoughts  within  him,  must  be  made  of  unenviable 
materials.  The  very  name  of  Greece  brings  a  charm, 
and  the  sight  of  her  ancient  monuments,  many  of  them 


102  LETTERS. 

overthrown  and  lying  in  the  dust,  must  fill  every  eye 
and  touch  every  heart,  even  though  the  eye  be  sated 
with  seeing  the  wonders  of  the  world  beside,  and  the 
heart  be  wearied  with  emotions  oft  excited  by  the  thril- 
ling records  of  the  past. 

The  temple  of  Jupiter  Olympus,  from  which  I  have 
strayed,  occupied  seven  hundred  years  in  its  construc- 
tion, from  the  time  of  Pisistratus  to  that  of  the  Emperor 
Hadrian,  and  it  has  suffered  more  from  the  hand  of  the 
destroyer  than  almost  any  other  temple  in  Greece,  most 
of  its  marbles  having  been  removed,  at  different  times, 
for  building  purposes.  After  the  Christian  era,  many 
of  the  temples  were  converted  into  churches,  and  this 
doubtless  contributed  much  to  their  preservation,  but 
the  temple  of  Jupiter  Olympus  was  too  immense  for 
such  an  use,  and,  therefore,  block  after  block  was  borne 
away.  Then  came  the  Turks,  foes  alike  to  beauty  and 
to  Christianity,  and  pagan  temple  and  Christian  church 
were  equally  despoiled.  One  whole  cohimn  of  the 
Olympeum  was  thrown  down,  and  its  marbles  carried 
away  for  one  of  their  mosques,  and  night  after  night,  it 
was  said  the  wind  moaned  and  sighed  among  the  other 
columns,  as  though  they  were  lamenting  the  loss  of 
their  sister !  Is  it  not  a  pretty  idea,  and  worthy  of  the 
poetical  country  of  the  Greeks  ? 

The  pavement  of  this  temple  is  now  used  as  a  thresh- 
ing floor,  and  here  the  country  people  bring  their 
grain,  and  have  it  trod  out  by  horses.  At  that  early 
hour  in  the  morning,  it  presented  an  animating  sight, 
the  men  and  the  women  and  the  children  in  their  pic- 
turesque costumes,  the  bundles  of  sheaves  on  the  one 
hand,  and  the  heaps  of  grain  on  the  other,  while  stretch- 


LETTERS.  103 

ing  far  up  into  the  clear  sky,  stood  the  pillars  of  the 
once  beautiful  temple. 

Next  we  came  to  the  Arch  of  Hadrian,  built  in  the 
second  century  of  the  Christian  era.  The  archway  is 
twenty  feet  wide,  and  the  whole  height  of  the  structure 
is  about  fifty-six  feet.  Above  the  centre  of  the  arch  is 
an  inscription,  purporting  that  it  divides  "  Athens,  the 
city  of  Theseus,"  from  the  "  city  of  Hadrian." 

Passing  through  a  corner  of  the  city,  where  "the 
houses  are  small,  and  built  of  rough  stone,  or  of  clay, 
we  reached  the  "  Monument  of  Lysicrates,"  known  for 
years  to  the  modern  world  as  the  "  Lantern  of  Demos- 
thenes." It  was  built  nearly  four  hundred  years  before 
the  Christian  era,  and  is  said  to  be  the  "  earliest  authen- 
tic instance  of  Corinthian  architecture."  It  is  a  small 
building,  circular  in  form,  adorned  with  pillars,  having 
richly  sculptured  capitals,  and  a  frieze,  in  which  are  bas- 
reliefs,  representing  the  destruction  of  the  Tyrrhenian 
pirates  by  Bacchus.  It  is  surmounted  by  an  urn,  and 
from  being  built  in  this  form,  or  from  some  other  trifling 
cause,  it  was  a  long  time  called  the  "  Lantern  of  De- 
mosthenes." Some  say  the  great  orator  was  accus- 
tomed to  shut  himself  up  there  for  a  month,  to  practice 
his  orations,  but  as  there  is  no  access  to  the  interior, 
and  indeed  in  a  building  only  eight  feet  in  diameter, 
outside  the  columns,  there  could  be  no  great  interior, 
this  must  have  been  a  difficult  operation. 

Near  the  monument,  are  the  remains  of  a  Franciscan 
convent,  where  Lord  Byron  once  resided,  and  where,  it 
is  said,  his  name  is  still  seen  on  a  marble  slab  on  the 
wall,  written  by  his  own  hand,  but  I  had  not  reverence 
enough  either  for  the  man  or  the  poet  to  go  out  of  my 
way  to  see  it. 


104  LETTERS. 

And  now  we  began  to  climb  the  rugged  hill,  or  rather 
rock,  of  the  Acropolis,  and  as  in  different  parts  of  the 
ascent,  Strattis  stopped  to  point  out  various  objects  of 
interest,  I  was  glad  of  an  excuse  to  rest  every  few  min- 
utes. This  hill  rises  about  three  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  plain  beneath  it,  and  presents 
the  appearance  of  a  rocky  platform  exceedingly  irregu- 
ular  in  shape,  its  greatest  length  being  eleven  hundred 
feet,* and  its  extreme  breadth  about  four  hundred  and 
fifty.  In  some  places  it  rises  tip  very  abruptly  from 
the  plain,  and  its  ascent  on  a  hot  morning,  and  before 
breakfast,  too,  is  not  so  very  easily  accomplished. 

On  the  summit  of  the  Acropolis  are  the  finest  ruins 
in  Greece ;  indeed,  there  is  such  a  labyrinth  of  ruins, 
that  I  really  don't  know  whether  to  describe  them  in  a 
mass,  or  give  each  one  a  separate  description.  Either 
would  take  more  time  and  paper  than  I  have  at  com- 
mand at  present,  and  I  must  therefore  give  a  hasty  ac- 
count of  what  particularly  struck  my  attention. 

Since  writing  the  above  sentence,  I  have  sat  a  half 
hour,  my  pen  in  hand,  my  eyes  fixed  on  the  opposite 
wall  of  my  room,  thinking  where  I  should  begin  my 
account  of  the  ruins  of  the  Acropolis,  and  what  I  should 
say  of  them.  If  the  hand  could  describe,  as  easily  as 
the  eye  can  take  in,  the  prominent  points  of  a  scene, 
how  easy  would  be  the  task  of  the  traveller  who  keeps 
a  journal,  (and,  in  a  parenthesis,  I  must  once  more  say, 
"  Blessed  be  they  who  carry  about  no  such  appendages.") 
I  cannot  tell  what  a  load  there  is  often  upon  my  heart, 
when  in  the  midst  of  intense  observation  of  some  inter- 
esting object,  the  thought  suddenly  comes  to  me,  "  And 
of  all  this  I  must  give  a  description,"  and  I  walk  round 
in  a  kind  of  mental  maze,  not  seeing  clearly  my  way 


LETTERS.  105 

out  of  the  labyrinth  by  which  I  am  surrounded.  Often 
I  am  tempted  to  throw  down  my  pen  in  despair,  and 
say  "  the  work  is  too  hard  for  me,"  but  then  I  remem- 
ber the  loved  ones  at  home,  who  watch  eagerly  for  my 
letters,  and  read  them  over  and  over  again,  not  for  their 
intrinsic  merit,  but  because  I  wrote  them,  and  this 
thought  nerves  me  to  renewed  exertion,  and  I  ply  the  pen 
with  unwonted  diligence,  till  I  have  said  all  I  have  to 
say. 

As  I  have  said  more  than  once,  I  think,  (for  I  know 
no  more  than  "  the  man  in  the  moon"  what  I  have 
written  in  my  countless  letters  to  you,)  I  cannot  go  into 
detail,  statistical,  historical  or  architectural,  concerning 
the  various  wonders  I  see  in  these  foreign  lands,  for  I 
am  not  fitted  for  such  a  work,  either  by  nature  or  edu- 
cation, and  if  I  were,  I  doubt  whether  such  details 
would  be  appreciated  by  all  of  you.  I  try  always  to 
keep  in  mind  that  these  letters  are  addressed  to  an  as- 
sembled household,  composed  of  the  old  and  the  young, 
the  learned  and  the  unlearned,  and  I  wish  ever  to  write 
of  such  things,  and  in  such  a  manner,  as  will  interest 
all,  and  be  beyond  the  comprehension  of  none. 

And  now  to  my  task.  The  largest  temple  on  the 
Acropolis  is  the  Parthenon,  and  the  approach  to  it  is 
inexpressibly  grand  and  beautiful.  A  broad  flight  of 
steps,  or  rather  a  carriage  way  in  the  centre,  with  steps 
on  either  side,  of  white  marble,  leads  up  to  a  portico, 
about  seventy  feet  broad,  having  six  fluted  pillars, 
twenty-nine  feet  in  height,  and  fifteen  feet  in  circumfer- 
ence. From  this  portico,  two  wings  projected,  adorned 
with  columns,  which  are  now  more  or  less  in  a  ruinous 
state.  The  walls  and  ceilings  of  this  portion  of  the 
temple,  the  "Propylsea,"  were  once  adorned  with 


106  LETTERS. 

paintings,  now,  alas !  "  among  the  things  that  have 
been."  Scattered  along  the  pavement  now,  are  frag- 
ments of  pillars,  broken  statues,  and  choice  bits  of 
sculpture,  found  among  the  ruins ;  and  here  one  sees 
the  perfection  to  which  the  art  was  brought  in  the 
palmy  days  of  Greece. 

And  now  we  have  reached  the  Parthenon,  which 
Wordsworth  says  is  the  "  finest  edifice  on  the  finest 
site  in  the  world,  hallowed  by  the  noblest  recollections 
that  can  stimulate  the  human  heart."  The  Parthenon 
was  built  under  the  administration  of  Pericles,  and  was 
finished  four  hundred  and  thirty-eight  years  before  the 
Christian  era.  The  matchless  sculptor,  Phidias,  was 
entrusted  with  the  general  superintendence  of  it,  and 
his  name  alone  ought  to  be  a  sufficient  voucher  for  the 
merit  of  the  work.  It  was  built  of  Pentelic  marble, 
except  the  tiles  of  the  roof,  which  were  Parian,  and  the 
whole  cost  of  the  building  is  estimated  at  three  millions 
and  a  half  dollars.  It  is  nearly  two  hundred  and  thirty 
feet  long,  and  about  one  hundred  wide,  and  has  a  por- 
tico at  each  end  of  eight  columns,  and  a  colonnade  on 
each  side  of  seventeen.  All  these  columns  are  fluted, 
of  the  Doric  order,  and  are  nearly  thirty  feet  high  by 
six  and  a  quarter  in  diameter.  Of  all  these  pillars,  but 
thirty- two  are  standing,  and  of  the  frieze,  which  was 
once  adorned  with  rich  sculptures,  but  little  now  re- 
mains. 

I  have  given  you  these  few  dry  statistics,  that  you 
may  be  better  able  to  form  some  idea  of  the  far-famed 
Parthenon  of  Athens,  but,  like  many  other  things,  it 
must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated.  I  should  enjoy  very 
much  seeing  it  by  moonlight,  but  at  present  that  is  im- 


LETTERS.  107 

practicable,  from  the  moon  rising  quite  too  late  at  night 
for  me,  or  rather  too  early  in  the  morning. 

Near  by  the  Parthenon  is  the  small  temple  of  "  Vic- 
tory without  wings,"  built  in  honor  of  the  victories 
gained  by  the  Athenians,  in  the  time  of  Miltiades  and 
Cimon,  over  the  Persians.  It  is  only  twenty-seven  feet 
long  by  eighteen  wide,  but  has  some  beautiful  sculp- 
tures, representing  battle  scenes.  For  nearly  two  hun- 
dred years,  this  temple  was  lost  to  sight,  but  in  1835, 
on  a  Turkish  battery  being  removed,  some  fragments  of 
sculptured  marbles  were  brought  to  light,  and  on  fur- 
ther researches  being  made,  the  various  parts  of  the 
temple  were  discovered,  and  under  judicious  and  able 
superintendence,  were  collected  and  re-arranged,  ac- 
cording to  the  original  plan  of  the  edifice. 

Next  we  visited  the  Erectheum,  the  most  revered  of 
all  the  ancient  sanctuaries  of  Athens,  connected  too 
with  the  earliest  religious  legends  of  Attica,  for  here 
was  once  the  oldest  statue  of  Athens,  the  guardian  of 
the  city,  which  was  made  of  olive  wood,  and  which  was 
said  to  have  fallen  down  from  Heaven.  Here,  too,  were 
the  sacred  olive  tree,  the  well  of  salt,  and  the  tomb  of 
Cecrops,  and  of  the  god  Erectheus.  Of  the  various  parts 
of  the  temple,  none  pleased  me  so  much,  as  one  of  the 
porticoes,  the  roof  of  which  is  supported  by  six  columns 
called  Caryatides,  in  the  form  of  young  maidens,  in 
flowing  drapery,  their  hands  resting  on  their  hips.  This 
term,  Caryatid,  meaning  a  female  figure  supporting  an 
entablature,  is  said  to  have  been  derived  from  Carya,  a 
city  in  Arcadia,  which  took  part  with  the  Persians 
against  the  Greeks,  and  was  consequently  destroyed  by 
their  enraged  countrymen,  the  men  slain,  and  the  wo- 
men carried  away  captives.  Male  figures  representing 


108  LETTERS. 

Persians,  were  sometimes  used  for  columns,  when  his- 
torical scenes  were  to  be  portrayed,  and  consequently 
Grecian  sculptors,  used  for  alike  purpose  female  figures, 
thereby  commemorating  the  punishment  of  the  women 
of  Carya,  or  the  Caryatides. 

Some  of  these  columns  are  mutilated ;  one  has  been 
furnished  with  a  new  head  and  bust,  and  one  is  of 
plaster,  sent  out  from  England  to  replace  that  carried 
off  by  Lord  Elgin,  as  great  a  robber  of  Grecian  marbles, 
as  the  barbaric  Turks,  but  even  in  this  mongrel  form, 
they  present  a  beautiful  appearance,  in  their  picturesque 
attitude,  with  their  drapery  floating  gracefully  around 
them. 

In  our  walks  among  these  ruins,  we  were  constantly 
meeting  exquisite  bits  of  sculpture,  fragments  of  statues 
and  bas-reliefs,  which  told  us  how  very,  very  beautiful 
these  temples  must  have  been  in  their  days  of  glory. 

Here  too,  are  collected  in  a  rude  kind  of  Museum, 
vases  and  urns,  and  lamps  found  among  the  ruins,  and 
marble  heads,  and  hands  and  feet,  and  a  thousand  like 
objects  of  interest.  Absorbed  as  I  was  in  gazing  upon 
the  records  of  the  past,  collected  on  the  Acropolis,  I 
paused  a  great  many  times  to  look  on  the  magnificent 
scene,  stretched  below  and  around  me.  One  of  the  pe- 
culiar charms  of  the  whole,  is  the  soft  haze  like  a  thin 
blue  mist  that  invests  the  mountains  as  with  a  halo, 
giving  them  ever  a  purple,  amethystine  hue,  which  is 
perfectly  lovely,  particularly  when  blended  with  the 
'dear  sky  above.  Then,  too,  the  hills  slope  down  so 
gracefully  into  the  valleys,  and  the  plains  swell  up  so 
beautifully  towards  the  mountains,  and  the  blue  mist 
enshrouds  all,  softening  down  every  asperity,  and  con- 
cealing every  rugged  spot,  that  it  seems  to  me  the 


LETTERS.  109 

scenery  of  Greece  thus  far,  must  be  totally  unlike  any 
thing  found  elsewhere. 

If  we  turn  to  the  sea,  behold  the  islands  clothed  in 
the  same  ethereal  garb,  tinged  with  the  same  delicate 
hues,  rising  abruptly,  yet  with  exquisite  grace  from 
the  blue  waters  spread  around,  and  when  you  add  to 
these  physical  beauties,  that  every  island  and  every 
mountain  peak,  and  every  hidden  vale,  have  their  le- 
gends of  heroism  and  love,  you  can  conceive  the  fas- 
cination Greece  must  ever  have  for  the  lovers  of  the 
beautiful. 

Come  stand  with  me  on  this  elevated  point,  and  look 
abroad  over  as  fair  a  scene,  as  was  ever  presented  to  the 
eye  of  man.  Far  down  the  blue  gulf,  see  that  island  fold- 
ed in  its  garment  of  blue  mist ;  that  is  JEgina,  and 
yonder  is  "  sea-born  Salamis,"  and  under  that  "  rocky 
brow"  Xerxes  once  sat,  and  "  counted  at  break  of  day" 
the  "  ships  by  thousands"  which  "lay  below"  and  the 
"  men  in  nations,"  and  still  farther  on,  are  the  moun- 
tains of  Eleusis,  and  range  upon  range  of  blue  hills. 
And  what  an  air  of  repose  dwells  upon  all ;  what  a  de- 
licious calm  reigns  over  the  whole  scene  !  Not  a  bird 
darkens  the  clear  air,  not  a  sail  ruffles  the  blue  waters. 
Is  it  not  lovely  ? 

Look  below.  Do  you  see  that  rugged  rock  rising  up 
at  your  feet  ?  There  St.  Paul  once  stood,  and  preached 
his  memorable  sermon  to  the  "  men  of  Athens."  Be- 
yond, on  that  rocky  platform  Themistocles  and  Demos- 
thenes once  swayed  the  masses  assembled  around  them, 
and  in  that  cavern  in  yonder  hill,  was  the  prison  of  So- 
crates, that  philosopher,  whose  life  and  death  and  doc- 
trines, approached  nearer,  than  any  other  heathen  sage, 
those  of  the  blessed  Jesus. 


110  LETTERS. 

Turn  once  more ;  see  that  green  belt  that  engirdles 
the  plain ;  it  is  the  grove  of  Academus,  where  Plato 
and  Aristotle  and  Zeno  and  Epicurus  and  Socrates  (I 
do  not  arrange  these  names  in  chronological  order,  but 
write  them  down,  just  as  they  come  into  my  mind,)  and 
a  host  besides,  discoursed  of  high  and  abstruse  subjects 
with  the  Athenians  gathered  around  them. 

If  you  are  not  tired  of  whirling  round  on  this  airy 
height,  take  one  more  tour  and  look  down.  At  your 
feet  rests  Athens,  not  the  "  august  Athena"  of  old, 
but  the  modern  town,  its  wilderness  of  houses  broken 
here  and  there  by  a  venerable  church,  true~specimen  of 
old  Byzantine  architecture.  The  garden  that  surrounds 
the  Palace,  is  almost  the  only  green  spot  for  the  eye  to 
rest  upon,  and  back  of  that,  rises  "  flowery  Hymettus," 
which  still  "  yields  his  honied  wealth,"  and  through 
the  plain  beneath  "  Ilissus  rolls  his  whispering  stream" 
along,  and  the  fair  pillars  of  Jupiter  Olympus  rise  up 
in  their  beauty.  Where'er  the  eye  turns,  "  tis  haunt- 
ed, holy  ground," 

"  Till  the  sense  aches  with  gazing  to  behold 
The  scenes  our  earliest  dreams  have  dwelt  upon  ; 
Each  hill  and  glade,  each  deepening  glen  and  world." 

Perhaps  you  have  had  enough  of  sight-seeing  by  this 
time,  so  if  you  like,  you  can  descend  from  your  lofty 
perch,  and  come  home  with  me  to  breakfast,  for  which 
my  long  walk  had  given  me  a  famous  appetite. 

As  we  were  warned  not  to  be  out  too  much  during 
the  heat  of  the  day,  we  spent  the  remaining  hours  very 
quietly,  reading,  writing  and  sleeping,  and  after  dinner, 
we  drove  out.  What  a  luxury,  after  donkey,  camel, 
and  horse  riding,  to  lean  back  in  an  open  carriage,  and 
enjoy  the  comforts  of  a  quiet  drive  ! 


LETTERS.  Ill 

A  short  time  after  leaving  the  city,  we  came  to  a  hill 
on  our  right,  a  part  of  the  site  of  the  ancient  Academy 
of  Athens.  Here  a  column  of  white  marble  marks  the 
spot  where  the  distinguished  antiquary  and  scholar, 
Miller,  is  buried.  Farther  on,  we  came  to  a  lovely  gar- 
den, said  to  be  the  spot  where  Plato  once  lived. 

We  left  our  carriage,  and  walked  for  some  time  amid 
clusters  of  ripening  grapes,  and  under  the  shade  of 
spreading  sycamores  and  "  silvery  olives  in  all  their 
poetic  glory."  But  the  beauties  of  the  present,  could 
not  wean  our  minds  from  the  associations  of  the  past, 
and  as  we  slowly  wandered  back  and  forth,  it  seemed 
we  could  almost  hear  the  teachings  of  him,  "  on  whose 
infant  lips,  the  bees  shed  honey  as  he  slept." 

Once  more  in  the  carriage,  we  drove  on  through  vine- 
yards and  groves  of  fig  and  olive  trees,  along  the  bank 
of  the  Cephissus,  now  almost  dried  away,  but  the  mur- 
mur of  the  little  rivulet  as  it  rolled  by  was  in  gentle 
harmony  with  the  soft  rustle  of  the  leaves. 

We  returned  home  by  the  old  "  sacred  way"  that  led 
from  Athens  to  Eleusis,  and  the  sun  went  down, 

"  Not  as  in  northern  climes,  obscurely  bright, 
But  one  unclouded  blaze  of  living  light," 

and  the  blue  mountains  looked  more  and  more  ethereal, 
till  their  "  tenderest  tints"  owned  "  the  hues  of  Heav- 
en." Years  ago,  Milton  described  Athens  in  "  words 
that  burn,"  and  one  sentence  in  that  description  con- 
stantly recurred  to  me  that  evening.  It  was,  "  pure  the 
air,"  and  certainly  purer  air  was  never  breathed  by 
mortals,  than  the  air  of  Greece.  It  really  makes  one  in 
love  with  life.  And  then  came  "  solemn -night,  and 
spread  her  pall  wide  o'er  the  slumbering  shore  and  sea," 
and  the  lustrous  stars  shone  out,  and  the  soft  breeze 


112  LETTERS. 

blew,  and  our  hearts  beat  in  unison  with  the  time  and 
place ;  till  we  were  suddenly  recalled  to  the  notice  of 
the  present  by  finding  ourselves  in  the  streets  of  Athens, 
not  left  in  their  natural  obscurity,  as  in  other  towns  in 
the  East,  but  actually  lit  by  street  lamps,  a  convenience 
we  have  not  seen  since  leaving  England,  nine  months 
ago. 

There,  I  have  certainly  written  enough  for  one  letter, 
so  now  good  night. 


LETTEE    LYII. 

^English  Church — King  and  Queen  of  Greece. — Tower  of  the  Winds. — 
Agora. — Mars  Hill. — Pnyx. — Prison  of  Socrates.— Sliding  Stone. — Tem- 
ple of  Theseus. — Garden  of  the  Palace. 

ATHENS,  July  17th. 
MY  DEAR  P. : 

I  resume  my  record  of  sight-seeing  in  Athens.  Yes- 
terday we  attended  the  English  Chapel  all  day,  where 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Hill,  though  an  American,  is  the  Chaplain, 
and  when  I  heard  J's  familiar  voice  in  the  pulpit,  I 
closed  my  eyes  on  Athens,  and  was  once  more  in  my 
own  loved  church  at  home. 

As  we  were  coming  from  prayers  in  the  evening,  we 
saw  a  party  on  horseback  dashing  down  the  street,  and 
although  there  was  but  little  pomp  and  parade  to  mark 
their  station,  we  immediately  concluded  it  was  the  King 
and  Queen  of  Greece.  The  King  and  Queen  rode  in 
advance,  followed  by  the  maids  of  honor,  two  or  three 
aids  and  the  servants  in  livery.  The  Queen  had  on  a 
purple  skirt,  with  a  white  jacket,  a  straw  hat  trimmed 
with  white,  and  has  a  so-so  face,  with  bright  eyes  and 


LETTERS.  113 

florid  complexion.  She  is  excessively  fond  of  riding, 
and  rides  splendidly,  managing  her  spirited  horse  with 
ease  and  grace.  The  King  rode  on  her  right,  and  wore 
the  Greek  costume,  which  consists  of  a  "  fustanella," 
a  short  full  skirt,  reaching  to  the  knees.  This  skirt  is 
of  white  linen  or  cotton,  and  is  made  all  of  gores,  a  full 
skirt  often  having  two  hundred  of  these  gores,  giving  a 
peculiarly  lofty,  majestic  gait  to  the  wearer,  as  the  folds 
sway  back  and  forth  as  he  walks.  Red  gaiters  orna- 
mented with  gold  embroidery,  and  reaching  to  the  knee 
and  fitting  the  leg  with  exquisite  nicety,  a  cunning  lit- 
tle red  jacket  with  loose  flowing  sleeves,  covered  with 
embroidery,  a  red  scarf  tied  around  the  waist,  a  cap  of 
red  velvet,  adorned  in  front  with  magnificent  diamonds, 
completed  the  costume  of  King  Otho.  From  his  face, 
I  should  never  have  thought  him  a  German,  but  should 
have  taken  him  for  a  Greek.  He  is  not  forty  yet,  but 
his  face  looks  worn  and  haggard.  His  eyes  are  splen- 
did, and  his  smile  a  blending  of  majesty  and  grace.  I 
did  not  take  all  these  observations  at  one  glance,  but 
this  evening  we  stood  at  the  gate  of  the  Palace,  and  saw 
them  mount  and  come  leisurely  towards  us.  About 
twenty  or  thirty  persons  were  there  assembled,  and 
every  head  was  uncovered,  as  their  Majesties  appeared, 
but  there  was  no  cheering,  or  sign  of  enthusiasm.  The 
King  and  Queen  looked  around  on  the  people,  and  ac- 
knowledged their  silent  greeting  by  a  gentle  bend  of  the 
head,  and  as  we  stood  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
group,  and  made  our  own  salutations,  we  received  a 
bow  and  a  smile  from  each.  Shakespeare  once  said, 
"  uneasy  lies  the  head  that  wears  the  crown,"  and  I 
imagine  few  crowned  heads  lie  more  uneasily,  than 
those  of  King  Otho  and  Queen  Amelia. 
8 


114  LETTERS. 

This  morning,  we  were  up  a  little  after  four,  and  out 
before  five,  and  I  really  thought  it  required  the  courage 
of  a  martyr,  to  brave  such  early  hours.  The  morning 
was  lovely.  A  golden  light  was  in  the  sky,  and  each 
mountain  top  stood  out  distinctly  in  its  gauze-like 
haze.  Through  the  streets  of  the  city  we  wended  our 
way,  and  unseasonably  as  the  hour  was,  many  of  the 
inhabitants  were  astir,  for  in  these  Eastern  climes,  the 
generality  of  the  people  rise  early,  rest  during  the  heat 
of  the  day,  and  come  forth  with  renewed  vigor  towards 
evening. 

Passing  by  two  or  three  venerable  churches  built  in 
true  Byzantine  style,  a  magnificent  portico,  half  in 
ruins,  one  or  two  Mosques,  now  used  for  barracks,  and 
walking  through  narrow  streets,  where  in  the  time  of  the 
Turks  were  the  bazaars,  we  came  to  the  "  Tower  of  the 
Winds,"  or  the  water-clock  of  Athens.  It  is  octagonal 
in  shape,  each  side  facing  one  of  the  eight  winds,  into 
which  the  Athenian  compass  was  divided,  and  having 
bas-reliefs  representing  the  qualities  and  ideal  form  of 
that  wind.  Thus  on  the  north  side,  is  the  figure  of 
Boreas,  wrapped  in  a  thick  mantle,  and  stout  buskins, 
while  the  side  next  this,  towards  the  east,  presents  an 
abundance  of  olives,  that  wind  being  favorable  to  their 
production  and  growth.  The  side  facing  the  east,  ex- 
hibits a  rich  profusion  of  flowers  and  fruits,  and  the 
very  next  compartment  shows  us  Eurus  with  scowling 
face,  threatening  a  hurricane.  Then  comes  the  south 
wind,  ready  to  deluge  the  ground  with  showers,  from  a 
large  urn  which  he  holds  in  his  naked  arms,  and  next 
a  ship  is  seen,  apparently  in  rapid  progress,  that  wind 
bringing  success  to  the  navigator.  Floating  gently  on, 
appears  Zephyrus,  showering  flowers  beneath  him,  while 


LETTERS.  115 

his  next  neighbor  carries  a  vessel  of  charcoal  in  his 
hands,  to  dispel  the  cold,  he,  himself,  has  produced. 
Each  face  has  a  sun-dial  too,  and  when  it  was  noon,  the 
water  which  was  brought  from  a  fountain  near  the  cave 
of  Apollo  and  Pan,  in  the  hill  below  the  Parthenon, 
rose  to  the  top  of  the  tower,  and  ran  down  over  the 
side. 

And  now  having  passed  under  an  arch  or  gateway,  we 
are  in  the  Agora,  where  once  assembled  the  people  of 
Athens  to  discuss  the  news  and  politics  of  the  day. 
Here  patriots  and  demagogues  sowed  the  seeds  of  glory 
and  of  sedition,  and  here  arose  the  first  whispers  against 
"the  just"  Aristides  and  the  immortal  Socrates. 

But  a  far  more  interesting  spot  to  us  than  this  even, 
was  Mars'  Hill,  where  once  stood  the  intrepid  "  Apostle 
of  the  Gentiles."  "We  ascended  to  the  top,  by  a  flight 
of  steps  cut  in  the  solid  rock,  and  after  gazing  around 
us  a  few  minutes,  sat  down  and  read  the  account  of  St. 
Paul's  memorable  visit  to  Athens.  How  vividly  came 
the  whole  scene  before  us !  Here,  where  the  great  and 
solemn  council  of  the  Areopagus  sat,  here  where  the 
Athenian  mind,  if  ever,  could  be  awed  by  the  solemn 
associations  of  the  spot,  famous  as  it  was  for  the  trials 
which  had  there  taken  place  of  causes  connected  with 
crime  and  religion,  from  the  legendary  trial  of  Mars, 
(hence  the  name  of  Mars'  Hill,)  down  to  those  of  later 
times ;  here  eighteen  hundred  years  ago  stood  St.  Paul, 
and  preached  to  the  Athenians,  who  were  ever  ready  to 
tell,  or  to  hear  some  new  thing,  a  "  doctrine"  which  might 
emphatically  be  called  "new."  Hark  to  the  voice  of  the 
Apostle  !  "  Ye  men  of  Athens,"  he  cries  to  the  multi- 
tude who  came  thronging  up  from  the  Agora  to  "  know 
what  these  things  "  meant,  "  I  perceive  that  in  all  things 


116  LETTERS. 

70  are  too  superstitious,"  or  "  peculiarly  observant  of 
unseen  influences."  All  around  him  were  splendid 
structures  built  by  "  art  and  man's  device,"  but  not  to 
these,  was  worship  to  be  paid.  On  the  rocky  ledges 
of  the  Acropolis,  which  towered  above  him,  stood  the 
elegant  Parthenon  of  Minerva,  and  in  the  plain  below, 
the  magnificent  temple  of  Theseus,  while  in  the  Agora, 
were  sundry  monuments,  all  objects  of"  devotion"  to  the 
gay  and  frivolous  Athenian.  And  as  though  these  were 
not  proof  enough  of  their  seeking  after  the  abstract  and 
the  invisible,  an  "  altar"  had  been  erected  "  to  the  Un- 
known God."  And  now  hear  him  proclaim,  "  whom 
therefore  ye  ignorantly  worship,  Him  declare  I  unto 
you.  God  that  made  the  world,  and  all  things  therein, 
seeing  that  He  is  Lord  of  Heaven  and  earth,  dwelleth 
not  in  temples  made  with  hands,"  and  here,  perhaps, 
he  pointed  his  finger  to  the  temples  rising  in  their  beauty 
and  grandeur  above  him,  or  to  those  studding  the  rich 
valley  beneath  him.  Then  he  proceeds  to  tell  them  fur- 
ther of  the  "  Unknown  God,"  ending  with  that  allu- 
sion to  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and  the  day  of 
judgment,  on  hearing  which  "  some  mocked,  and  others 
said,  we  will  hear  thee  again  of  this  matter." 

The  sermon  was  finished,  and  he  "  departed  from 
among  them,"  but  his  preaching  had  some  effect,  for 
"  certain  men  clave  unto  him  and  believed ;  among 
which  was  Dionysius  the  Areopagite,"  and  at  a  little 
distance  from  Mars'  Hill,  are  the  ruins  of  a  small  church 
named  in  honor  of  that  Athenian  disciple. 

Next,  we  ascended  the  hill,  or  artificial  platform,  call- 
ed the  Pnyx,  which  was  the  place  of  Parliament,  or  as- 
sembly of  the  Athenian  people.  The  area  of  this  plat- 
form was  capable  of  containing  from  seven  to  eight 


LETTERS.  117 

thousand  persons,  and  sloped  gradually  down  towards 
the  centre,  where  was  the  pulpit  or  "bema"  of  the 
orator.  It  was  not  provided  with  seats,  hence  the  as- 
sembled citizens  either  stood,  or  sat  on  the  bare  rock. 
It  had  no  awning  to  protect  the  masses  from  the  heat 
of  the  sun,  but  the  assembly  was  generally  held  at  day 
break. 

Here  have  stood  the  far-famed  legislators  and  orators 
of  Greece,  Solon,  Pericles,  Themistocles,  Aristides  and 
Demosthenes,  and  along  the  shore  of  the  bay  beyond, 
Demosthenes  walked,  strengthening  his  voice  by  striving 
to  speak  above  the  murmur  of  the  waves.  Ah  me !  as  I 
thought  of  all  these  things,  I  seemed  to  go  back  many, 
many  years,  and  to  be  once  more  a  school  girl,  studying 
the  History  of  Greece. 

Near  the  Pnyx  are  two  hills,  one  called  "  the  Hill  of 
the  Nymphs,"  which  is  surmounted  by  an  observatory, 
and  the  other  "  the  Museum  Hill,"  on  the  summit  of 
which,  is  the  monument  of  Philopappus,  who  lived  in 
Athens  in  the  first  century  of  the  Christian  era. 

In  the  side  of  this  hill,  is  a  little  cavern  or  grotto, 
consisting  of  three  chambers,  and  this  is  called  "  the 
prison  of  Socrates."  One  of  the  chambers  was 
used  for  a  chapel,  the  middle  one  for  the  bath,  and  the 
third  is  said  to  be  the  room  where  the  greatest  of  all 
heathen  philosophers  was  imprisoned.  For  the  sake  of 
his  health,  I  should  hope  these  rooms  had  a  better 
odor  in  former  days  than  now,  for  they  are  any  thing 
but  fragrant  at  present. 

Here  he  drank  the  bitter  cup  of  poison,  and  then  laid 
down  to  die,  and  when  life  had  departed,  he  was  borne 
to  another  grotto,  farther  on  in  the  hill  side,  and  de- 
posited in  a  sarcophagus,  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock. 


118  LETTERS. 

Once  more  the  school  girl  feeling  came  over  me,  as  I 
dwelt  upon  these  scenes. 

As  we  came  down  the  hill,  we  saw  a  smooth,  shining 
rock  on  our  left,  which  is  known  by  the  name  of  the 
"  sliding  stone,"  and  I  must  preface  my  remarks  con- 
cerning it,  by  exclaiming,  "  Ye  that  have  blushes,  pre- 
pare to  bring  them  out,"  for  I  am  going  to  touch  upon 
a  delicate  subject,  which  may  cause  some  of  you  to 
turn  away  with  rosy  cheeks,  and  perhaps  with  eyes  flash- 
ing with  contempt  for  one  who  thus  dares  to  set  delica- 
cy, in  the  American  sense  of  the  word,  at  defiance.  It 
is  said  that  if  she,  who  has  been  a  wife  long,  without 
becoming  a  mother,  will  but  slide  down  this  stone,  in 
less  than  a  year,  her  fondest  hopes  will  be  realized, 
and  she  will  give  birth  to  a  child !  The  Greek  wives 
must  believe  this  legend,  for  the  stone  is  worn  to  bright- 
ness and  smoothness  by  having  been  often  used. 

And  now  we  approached  near  the  temple  of  Theseus, 
which  we  had  long  been  seeing  at  a  distance.  This 
temple  is  by  many  spoken  of  as  "  the  most  perfect  ar- 
chitectural relic  of  all  antiquity,"  but  I  think  that  an- 
tiquity should  be  specified  as  Grecian  or  European,  be- 
cause one  finds  as  "  perfect  architectural  relics"  in 
Egypt,  which  date  back  hundreds  of  years  before  the 
"  antiquity"  of  Grecian  temples.  But  be  that  as  it  may, 
this  temple  is  a  most  beautiful  "  relic"  of  "  antiquity." 
It  is  one  hundred  and  four  feet  long,  and  forty-five 
wide,  and  has  a  portico  running  quite  around  it,  the 
pillars  of  which  are  nineteen  feet  high,  and  ten  in  cir- 
cumference. The  bas-reliefs  represent  the  labors  of 
Hercules  and  Theseus. 

This  temple,  though  more  than  two  thousand  three 
hundred  years  old,  is  so  admirably  preserved,  as  at  a  little 


LETTERS.  119 

distance  to  look  quite  perfect  and  like  a  modern  edifice. 
In  the  interior,  is  the  national  museum  of  Athens,  and 
here  wg  found  a  good  many  ancient  statues  and  sculp- 
tured tablets  to  interest  us.  And  when  I  compared  the 
faultlessly  chiselled  faces,  and  exquisitely  proportioned 
figures  to  the  square,  clumsy  forms,  delineated  by  Egyp- 
tian artists,  I  could  not  but  acknowledge  how  far  superior 
were  the  sculptors  of  Greece  to  those  of  Egypt. 

After  four  hours  spent  in  rambling  among  these  in- 
teresting localities,  you  may  be  quite  sure  I  was  ready  to 
come  home  to  my  breakfast.  Seeing  kind  American 
friends,  journalizing,  and  sleeping,  served  to  fill  up  the 
hours  till  dinner,  and  after  that,  we  walked  in  the  gar- 
den back  of  the  Palace.  Here,  various  kinds  of  trees, 
and  flowers  of  every  hue,  and  quiet,  shaded  walks,  and 
arbors  paved  with  rare  old  mosaics,  and  glimpses  ot 
the  lovely  sky  and  the  blue  hills,  and  ruined  temples  at 
a  distance,  charmed  us  greatly,  and  when  the  sun  went 
down,  and  the  sky  was  suffused  with  a  soft  rose  tint, 
and  Hymettus  assumed  a  rich  violet  hue,  I  thought  no 
where  on  earth  could  there  be  a  lovelier  scene. 

And  now  good  bye,  for  if  you  are  not  tired,  I  am. 


120  LETTERS. 


LETTER    LVIII. 

• 

Prisoners. — Cholera  at  tho  Piraeus. — Trip  to  Pentelicus. — Grand  view 
from  the  Summit. — Marathon. — Eubcea. — Isles. — Mountains. — Sacred 
Way. — Daphne. — Bay  of  Eleusis. — Eleusis. — Eemains  of  Temple  of 
Ceres. — Megara. — Lovely  Sunsets. — Queen  Amelia.— King  Otho.— State 
of  Greece. — Eev.  Mr.  Hill. — Episcopal  Mission. — Phalenun. — Sickness. 

ATHENS,  July  22d. 
Mr  DEAR  P. : 

At  length  we  are  prisoners !  Do  not  be  alarmed, 
for  no  hostile  powers  have  taken  possession  of  us,  but 
the  cholera,  or  what  is  thought  to  be  the  cholera,  having 
broken  out  at  the  Piraeus,  five  miles  distant,  the  steam- 
ers have  refused  to  take  any  passengers  from  here. 
How  long  this  state  of  things  may  last,  we  cannot  tell, 
but  we  hope  not  long.  You  may  readily  imagine  it  is 
not  pleasant  for  us  to  be  thus  hindered  from  prosecuting 
our  journey,  but  we  try  to  bear  it  as  patiently  and 
cheerfully  as  possible.  Fretting  is  bad  any  where,  but 
in  hot  climates  it  is  especially  to  be  avoided,  and  we 
therefore  make  up  our  minds  to  patiently  and  quietly 
wait  till  permission  is  given  us  to  depart. 

If  the  weather  were  not  so  hot,  and  the  mountains 
were  not  infested  with  bands  of  lawless  plunderers,  we 
might  spend  the  time  in  making  some  excursions  in 
Greece,  but  it  is  so  hot  we  could  not  travel  with  impu- 
nity, except  in  the  very  early  morning,  and  towards 
evening,  and  the  prospect  of  being  robbed,  to  say  noth- 
ing of  being  murdered,  is  by  no  means  a  pleasant  one, 
so  we  must  remain  in  Athens,  and  while  away  the  time 
as  best  we  may.  Then  there  is  another  difficulty.  Our 
letters,  containing,  as  we  hope,  remittances,  are  awaiting 
us  at  Vienna,  and  it  will  take  a  fortnight  to  write  there 


LETTERS.  121 

and  receive  an  answer,  and  before  that  time  is  over,  we 
hope  to  be  once  more  on  our  way.  Our  funds  are  just 
sufficient  to  take  us  to  Vienna,  but  if  we  have  to  stay 
here  a  fortnight,  or  perform  quarantine  at  Trieste,  we 
shall  have  nothing  to  supply  the  loud  demand  for  cash ; 
however,  we  are  relieved  from  that  unpleasant  predica- 
ment, by  our  banker  here  kindly  consenting  to  advance 
us  the  needed  sum,  to  be  repaid  when  we  arrive  at 
Vienna,  Rev.  Mr.  A.  being  our  surety. 

But  then  our  letters  from  home !  We  are  anxious  to 
have  them,  and  yet  we  refrain  from  sending  for  them, 
hoping  ere  they  could  arrive,  to  be  on  our  way  towards 
Vienna.  As  for  the  cholera,  it  brings  us  no  alarm  ;  we 
have  had  it  around  us  at  home,  and  the  same  kind 
Providence  who  protected  us  there,  can  watch  over  us 
here,  and  we  therefore  have  no  fears  whatever,  and  I 
earnestly  hope  you  will  all  feel  as  free  from  anxiety 
for  us  we  do  for  ourselves. 

Summer  is  rapidly  hastening  on,  and  we  have  yet 
much  to  see,  before  we  once  more  brave  the  terrors  of 
the  Atlantic,  and  as  I  said  before,  it  is  unpleasant  to  be 
delayed  in  our  journey,  but  that  can't  be  helped ;  and 
as,  time  and  again,  we  go  over  the  whole  subject,  dwell- 
ing at  large  upon  its  most  aggravating  points,  we  sum 
up  the  whole  by  saying,  and  trying  to  feel  what  we  say, 
"'Tis  all  for  the  best." 

And  now  let  me  go  back  a  few  days.  Once  more  we 
were  called  early  from  our  beds,  on  Tuesday  morning, 
for  a  long  excursion  was  before  us.  We  had  talked 
about  going  to  Marathon,  but  much  as  I  wanted  to  see 
that  celebrated  spot,  I  was  forced  to  give  it  up,  when  I 
found,  besides  the  distance  we  could  go  in  a  carriage, 
I  should  be  obliged  to  ride  six  hours  on  horseback. 


122  LETTERS. 

But  even  that  was  not  so  formidable  as  starting  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  which  we  should  have  been 
obliged  to  have  done,  to  make  so  long  an  excursion  in 
one  day.  So  we  decided  to  go  to  the  top  of  Mount 
Pentelicus. 

"With  my  eyes  half  open,  I  went  down  to  breakfast, 
for  we  could  not  think  of  starting  on  such  an  expedi- 
tion, without  first  fortifying  ourselves  with  something 
to  eat,  and  by  five  o'clock,  we  were  in  the  carriage,  the 
saddle  horses  having  previously  been  sent  on.  After 
leaving  the  city,  we  entered  upon  a  wide  plain,  here  and 
there  dotted  with  a  vineyard  or  grove  of  olive  trees,  but 
generally  barren  and  brown,  save  where  the  purple 
thyme,  or  clusters  of  flowering  oleanders,  added  variety 
to  the  scene.  Perhaps,  earlier  in  the  season,  this  plain 
would  look  fresh  and  green,  and  have  bright  gay  flow- 
ers, but  now  the  country  every  where  is  parched  and 
sere.  On  our  right,  Hymettus  lifted  its  purple  head, 
and  on  our  left  were  the  rock-crowned  peak  of  Lycabet- 
tus,  and  the  lofty  range  of  Mount  Parnes,  Pentelicus 
bounding  the  prospect  ahead. 

After  two  hours'  drive,  we  came  to  a  thick  grove  of 
trees,  where  we  left  the  carriage,  and  mounting  our 
horses,  we  crossed  a  little  rivulet,  and  began  the  ascent 
of  the  mountain.  The  first  part  of  the  way,  the  path 
was  not  very  steep,  but  it  was  so  covered  with  loose 
stones  as  to  render  the  footing  rather  unsafe.  But  the 
stones  in  the  path  were  not  all  the  difficulties  we  met, 
for  soon  after  leaving  the  carriage,  it  began  to  rain,  at 
first  slightly,  then  it  increased  to  a  heavy  shower,  till 
we  were  uncomfortably  wet.  There  was  no  shelter 
near ;  we  must  either  return  to  the  carriage  or  press  on 
to  a  grotto  in  the  mountain,  about  half  way  up.  We 


LETTERS.  123 

decided  on  the  latter  course,  and  hurried  on  as  rapidly 
as  possible,  though  in  such  a  stony  path,  we  could  not 
go  out  of  a  walk.  The  thick  bushes  of  oleander  and 
the  masses  of  brush-wood  that  lined  the  path,  showered 
upon  us,  as  we  rubbed  by  them,  and  by  the  time  we 
arrived  at  the  grotto,  we  were  about  as  wet  as  we  could 
be.  Water  is  as  great  a  damper  to  enthusiasm  as  to 
many  other  things,  and  literally  soaked  when  we  arrived 
at  the  grotto,  I  cared  not  much  for  the  sublimity  of 
the  scene  around  me. 

Strattis  made  a  fire  of  dried  branches,  and  standing 
within  the  grotto,  sheltered  from  the  rain,  I  had  ample 
leisure  to  look  about  me.  Higher  and  higher  rose  the 
wreaths  of  smoke,  encircling  the  ivy  which  grew  in 
luxuriance  over  the  rocky  sides,  and  startling  the  owl 
from  his  perch,  while  the  flames  threw  a  lurid  light  over 
the  roof  and  walls  of  the  cavern.  Around  us  were  im- 
mense quarries,  from  which  the  Pentelican  marble  is 
taken,  and  below  us  were  hills  and  plains,  rolling  on  to 
the  distant  sea.  Now,  the  valley  was  wrapped  in  mists, 
and  now,  the  sun  shone  out,  lighting  up  every  nook, 
and  shining  upon  every  mountain  peak.  It  was  very, 
very  grand,  and  being  thoroughly  dried,  I  quite  forgot 
the  previous  wetting. 

Out  shone  the  sun  at  last,  and  with  every  leaf  and 
shrub  glittering  wi£h  tiny  drops,  we  mounted  and  pur- 
sued our  upward  way.  Steeper  and  steeper  grew  the 
path,  and  wilder  and  wilder  the  scene,  and  the  view 
below  was  becoming  more  and  more  magnificent,  but  I 
would  not  stop  to  look  around  me,  determining  to  wait 
till  I  reached  the  top,  that  the  whole  might  burst  upon 
me  at  once. 

And  now  the  path  became  so  rocky  and  steep  that  we 


124  LETTERS. 

dismounted,  and  pursued  the  rest  of  the  way  on  foot. 
Arriving  at  the  top,  which  is  3500  feet  above  the  sea,  I 
sat  down  under  the  shelter  of  a  high  rock,  and  threw 
my  eyes  quickly  around.  What  a  scene !  I  drew  my 
breath,  and  looked  again.  Strattis  began  to  talk,  and 
point  out  the  different  localities,  and  then  what  names 
I  heard,  so  dear  to  every  lover  of  Greece !  First  of  all, 
at  our  very  feet,  lay  Marathon,  which 

"  Preserves  alike  its  bounds  and  boundless  fame, 
The  battlefield  where  Persia's  victim  horde 
First  bowed  beneath  the  brunt  of  Hellas'  sword, 
As  on  the  morn  to  distant  glory  dear, 
When  Marathon  became  a  magic  word, 
Which  uttered,  to  the  hearer's  eye  appear 
The  camp,  the  host,  the  fight,  the  conqueror's  career." 

Yes !  the  very  name  of  Marathon  brought  the  great, 
the  memorable  battle  before  us,  which  was  fought  there 
more  than  two  thousand  three  hundred  years  ago,  when 
a  handful  of  Greeks  put  to  flight  "  Persia's  horde." 

Between  us  and  the  plain  of  Marathon,  a  succession 
of  rolling  hills  sloped  gradually  down,  and  beyond,  the 
.  sea  came  up  in  a  semicircular  bay,  protected  by  a  long, 
low  promontory.  Still  farther  on,  rose  Euboea  from  the 
sea,  its  shore  beautifully  indented  with  bold  promonto- 
ries and  sheltered  bays.  On  and  on  swept  the  sea, 
gemmed  with  beauteous  isles,  among  which  rose  con- 
spicuous Andros  and  Tinos,  while  away  in  the  distance, 
Syra  bounded  the  view.  I  turned  around ;  the  sea 
washed  the  peninsula  on  that  side,  and  beyond  queenly 
Egina  and  "  sea-born  Salamis,"  rose  a  range  of  moun- 
tains, at  whose  feet  lay  Eleusis  and  Megara. 

Turning  my  eyes  landward,  I  see  "  hills  upon  hills 
arise,"  Parnes  and  Cytheron  swelling  up  in  their  ma- 
jesty, while  Helicon  brings  up  the  rear.  And  yonder 


LETTERS.  125 

towers  Mount  Geranea,  and  far  away,  amid  those  hid- 
den recesses,  lies  Delphi,  near  which  flows  the  Castalian 
fount,  whose  waters  gave  inspiration  and  power  to  the 
poet. 

Over  hill  and  plain,  and  wooded  dell  and  rocky  ra- 
vine, and  a  few  villages  gleaming  here  and  there,  my 
eye  roamed,  till  it  rested  on  Athens,  almost  engirdled 
by  the  groves  of  the  Academy  and  by  green  vineyards. 
How  plainly  I  saw  the  Acropolis,  and  so  distinctly  stood 
out  the  fair  temples  in  their  beauty,  I  could  almost 
count  the  pillars. 

Varied  as  this  scene  was,  perhaps  its  predominant 
trait  was  the  unbroken  stillness  that  reigned  over  all. 
Not  a  moving  thing  was  to  be  seen ;  not  a  sail  broke  the 
majestic  repose  of  the  dark  blue  waters.  How  many 
times  I  ejaculated,  "  Oh,  glorious  land  of  Greece !" 
And  even  while  I  ate  my  lunch,  I  broke  out  a  dozen 
times  with — 

"  The  mountains  look  on  Marathon, 
And  Marathon  looks  on  the  sea." 

At  length  we  must  descend ;  we  soon  reached  our 
horses,  which  were  quietly  browsing  the  scanty  grass, 
and  mounting,  we  descended  the  steep,  stony  path, 
which  seemed  to  me  almost  as  bad  as  some  of  the  roads 
in  Syria.  "We  descended  safely,  however,  and  in  due 
time  arriving  at  the  grove  where  we  had  left  the  car- 
riage, we  were  soon  on  our  homeward  way,  reaching  the 
hotel  about  two  o'clock. 

The  next  day  we  were  off  on  another  excursion,  to 
Eleusis  and  Megara,  leaving  here  at  five  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  not  getting  home  till  nearly  eight  in  the 
evening,  but  as  we  went  the  whole  distance  in  a  car- 
riage, I  was  not  at  all  fatigued. 


126  LETT  BBS. 

We  went  out  by  "  the  sacred  way,"  the  road  along 
which  the  religious  processions  of  old  were  wont  to 
pass,  and  occasionally  saw  remains  of  the  ancient  pave- 
ment and  the  marks  of  the  chariot  wheels,  and  niches 
in  the  sides  of  the  hills,  where  the  votaries  of  the  gods 
deposited  their  offerings.  Never  was  there  a  lovelier 
morning,  and  the  mountains  and  the  sea,  and  the 

"  Isles  that  crown  the  Egean  deep," 

were  clothed  in  the  most  delicate  tints  imaginable. 
Fair  Greece,  favored  child  of  poesy  and  song,  to  me 
thou  art  charming ! 

Arriving  at  the  little  village  of  Daphne,  we  stopped 
to  visit  an  old  monastery,  remarkable  for  nothing  but 
the  antique  mosaics  that  line  the  dome  of  the  little 
chapel.  In  a  chamber  beyond  the  chapel,  we  were 
shown  the  burial  places  of*  two  of  "  the  Dukes  of  Ath- 
ens." From  the  roof,  or  as  it  is  called  here,  "  the  ter- 
race," of  the  monastery,  we  had  a  magnificent  view. 
Before  us  stretched  the  famous  "  pass  of  Daphne,"  a 
narrow,  rocky  gorge,  between  two  peaks  of  ^Egaleos,  at 
the  end  of  which  opened  the  Bay  of  Eleusis,  its  waters 
of  the  clearest  blue,  while  the  background  was  com- 
posed of  hills  clothed  in  amethystine  hues. 

Then  on  we  went,  along  the  Bay  of  Eleusis,  the 
mountains  on  our  right,  and  the  blue  sea  on  our  left, 
studded  with  islands,  among  which  Egina  and  "  sea- 
born Salaniis"  shone  the  most  conspicuously.  This  bay 
seems  almost  entirely  land-locked,  being  encircled  on 
three  sides  by  rugged  mountains,  and  almost  shut  in, 
in  front,  by  Salamis.  I  have  rarely  seen  a  lovelier  bay. 

At  Eleusis,  there  are  some  remains  of  the  temple  of 
Ceres,  and  we  saw  a  large  number  of  shattered  columns 
and  broken  statues,  and  an  immense  medallion  of 


LETTERS.  127 

Pentelic  marble,  representing  in  bold  relief  the  head 
and  bust  of  a  warrior  in  complete  armor. 

While  we  walked  about,  half  the  inhabitants,  old  and 
young,  male  and  female,  gathered  about  us,  among 
whom,  the  most  conspicuous  objects  were  little  girls  and 
boys,  apparently  not  more  than  four  of  five  years  old, 
having  the  care  of  babies,  and  of  children  two  or  three 
years  younger  than  themselves.  It  seems  to  me  this  is 
one  of  the  characteristic  features  of  the  East,  and  I 
think  I  have  spoken  of  it  more  than  once.  Amid  all 
these  groups  gathered  around  us,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A,  who 
were  with  us,  could  find  but  one  who  could  understand 
Greek,  as  spoken  in  Athens,  they  being  Albanians,  and 
speaking  a  dialect  peculiar  to  themselves. 

After  resting  a  while  at  Eleusis,  not  so  much  for  our 
own  sake,  as  for  that  of  the  horses,  we  went  on  to  Megara, 
twelve  or  fifteen  miles  farther.  Nearly  all  the  way,  our 
road  lay  along  the  bay,  while  the  mountains  almost  encir- 
cled us.  Once  we  crossed  a  plain,  covered  with  the  vine 
and  the  olive,  but  otherwise  the  country  seemed  barren 
and  desolate,  the  ground  looking  parched  and  dry,  though 
I  am  told  in  early  Spring,  every  thing  bears  quite  a  dif- 
ferent aspect. 

At  Megara  we  were  told  there  was  nothing  interesting 
to  be  seen,  and  as  it  was  excessively  hot,  we  did  not 
care  about  walking  round  to  make  any  new  discoveries, 
so  we  took  possession  of  the  upper  story  of  a  kind  of 
Khan,  ate  our  lunch,  and  then  laid  down  on  the  floor  to 
sleep. 

On  our  way  back,  we  took  fresh  horses  at  Eleusis, 
and  then  came  on  quite  rapidly,  arriving  here  before 
eight  o'clock,  the  distance  we  travelled  that  day, 
being  about  fifty  miles.  As  we  came  towards  Athens, 


128  LETTERS. 

she  looked  lovely,  dressed  inlier  evening  robe  of  beauty, 
the  heavens  being  glorious  with  its  many  hues,  the  pil- 
lars of  the  Parthenon  standing  out  clearly  against  the 
soft  sky,  while  Hymettus,  Lycabettus  and  Pentelicus 
were  bathed  in  a  flood  of  rosy  light.  The  sunsets  here 
are  magnificent ;  they  almost  rival  my  cherished  ones 
on  the  Nile.  The  thin  haze  that  floats  upon  the  moun- 
tains, the  lovely  hues  of  the  sky,  cloudless  and  clear  as 
possible,  the  change  that  comes  over  the  earth  and  the 
heavens  as  the  twilight  deepens ;  all  these,  and  a  thou- 
sand other  charms,  to  which  my  feeble  pen  cannot  do 
justice,  serve  to  make  a  sunset  at  Athens  exquisitely 
beautiful. 

At  a  little  distance  from  the  city,  Strattis  suddenly 
announced  the  approach  of  the  Queen.  We  drew  up 
while  her  Majesty  passed,  it  not  being  considered  eti- 
quette to  be  driving  on,  while  a  royal  personage  is  pass- 
ing, and  I  had  a  better  view  of  Queen  Amelia,  than  I 
had  had  before.  She  was  in  a  carriage  drawn  by  four 
horses,  accompanied  by  her  "mistress  of  robes"  who 
sat  beside  her,  and  preceded  and  followed  by  three  or 
four  attendants  on  horseback.  On  mature  observation, 
I  should  pronounce  the  Queen  of  Greece,  not  exactly 
handsome  perhaps,  but  decidedly  good  looking,  having 
clear,  bright  eyes,  a  full,  florid  face,  and  an  exceeding- 
ly beautiful  and  winning  smile.  For  the  gratification 
of  my  lady  readers,  I  will  say  she  wore  a  silk  dress,  a 
cachemere  shawl,  and  a  bright  pink  bonnet,  with  flow- 
ers of  the  same  color  inside,  which  I  am  sorry  to  be  obliged 
to  add  were  exceedingly  unbecoming  to  her  high  color. 

Our  good  star  again  was  in  the  ascendant,  for  a  half 
hour  afterwards,  we  met  King  Otho.  I  like  his  appear- 
ance much;  his  eyes  are  soft  yet  brilliant,  though  I 


LETTERS.'  129 

should  say  wanting  in  soul,  and  in  intellect.  His  smile 
and  the  look  of  his  eyes,  as  he  bends  them  on  you, 
while  he  bows  graciously,  are  exceedingly  captivating, 
and  to  me,  (I  am  frank  enough  to  confess  it,)  the  King 
of  Greece,  mounted  on  a  spirited  horse,  dressed  in  the 
charming  costume  of  the  Albanians,  the  circumstances 
in  which  he  is  placed  at  present,  investing  him  with  a 
mournful  interest,  is  peculiarly  fascinating. 

It  is  not  my  province,  neither  is  this  the  time  and 
place,  to  dilate  upon  the  state  of  Greece,  nor  indeed  of 
any  country  through  which  we  may  pass.  You,  with 
your  constant  access  to  books  and  newspapers,  at  present 
so  full  of  these  subjects,  are  probably  more  conversant 
with  them,  than  I,  in  my  wanderings  about,  am  able 
just  now  to  be,  but  one  thing  I  must  say  for  Greece, 
and  that  is,  that  at  this  moment  she  is  probably  at  one 
of  the  most  critical  points  of  her  life.  How  will  she 
pass  this  crisis  ?  Oppressed  by  enemies  within,  and  foes 
without,  will  she  be  able  to  throw  off  the  shackles  that 
bind  her,  and  appear  once  more  before  the  world  in  her 
former  brightness  and  glory,  or  will  "  she  draw  tighter 
the  bonds  that  enslave  her,  and  be  lost  in  the  shadow 
of  mightier  powers  ?"  The  future  will  decide.  When  I 
meditate  upon  the  present  state  of  Greece,  and  compare 
her  with  what  she  once  was,  I  am  ready  to  weep  over 
her  fallen  greatness,  and  I  sigh  and  mournfully  exclaim, 
"  Poor  Greece !" 

Yesterday  we  spent  the  day  at  Rev.  Mr.  Hill's,  long 
known  to  the  world  at  large,  as  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful Missionaries  and  Teachers  in  foreign  lands.  True, 
the  work  he  has  accomplished  may  not  be  counted  by 
the  numbers  he  has  brought  from  the  error  of  their 
ways,  but  in  the  seeds  of  good  that  have  been  sown,  and 
9 


130  'LETTERS. 

of  which  a  future  generation  will  show  the  fruits  better 
than  this.  I  regret  exceedingly  that  the  holidays 
should  have  commenced  before  we  arrived,  as  I  should 
have  liked  much  to  have  seen  the  schools  in  their  full 
operation.  As  it  was,  I  went  yesterday  all  over  the 
Mission  premises,  and  had  occasion  to  admire  the  neat- 
ness and  order  that  reigned  every  where. 

In  the  afternoon  we  drove  down  to  the  Phalerum, 
which  before  the  time  of  the  Persians,  was  the  harbor 
of  Athens.  The  road  has  lately  been  bordered  with* 
trees  on  either  side,  under  the  direction  of  the  Queen, 
she  frequenting  this  road  very  often,  as  she  generally 
goes  down  to  the  Phalerum  every  morning  to  bathe. 

We  had  a  quiet  ramble  along  the  sea  shore,  but  my 
pleasure  during  the  whole  day  was  greatly  damped  by 
sickness,  which  at  last  increased  so  much,  that  I  was 
obliged  to  ask  my  kind  friends  to  drive  me  home  with- 
out delay.  It  is  never  very  pleasant  to  be  sick  in  a  for- 
eign land,  but  just  now  while  the  cholera  is  near,  per- 
haps I  shall  be  excused  if  I  do  feel  a  little  degree  of 
anxiety  about  myself.  To-day  I  have  not  been  out  at 
all,  but  have  tried  to  write  a  little  to  divert  my  mind 
from  dwelling  too  much  upon  my  own  affairs.  I  have 
written  this  long  letter  at  many  intervals,  and  in  much 
pain,  which  must  be  my  apology  for  its  defects. 


LETTERS.  131 


LETTER    LIX. 

Prospects  for  Departure. — Queen's  Farm. — Garden  of  the  Palace, — Greek 
Costume. — Lycabettus. — View  from  top  Acropolis. — Sunset. — Parthe- 
non by  Moonlight. — Farewell  to  Friends. — Cavia. — Maid  of  Athens. 

ATHENS,  Aug.  3d. 
MY  DEAREST  P. : 

We  are  still  shut  up  here,  as  you  will  see  by  the  date 
of  this,  and  I  am  sorry  to  be  forced  to  add,  that  we  see 
no  prospect  whatever  of  getting  away.  Remonstrances 
and  efforts  amount  to  nothing ;  the  steamers  will  not 
take  passengers,  and  we  cannot  compel  them  to  take 
us.  Mr.  King,  in  his  capacity  as  consul,  has  made 
every  exertion  to  procure  us  permission  to  depart,  but 
thus  far  in  vain.  Two  or  three  times  our  hopes  of  a 
speedy  departure  have  been  raised  only  to  be  dashed  to 
the  ground  again  with  renewed  violence.  We  try  to 
be  quiet  and  patient  under  the  disappointment,  and  to 
trust  that  all  will  work  out  for  good,  and  our  friends 
here  say,  we  bear  it  remarkably  well,  but  it  is  a  great 
hindrance  to  us,  for  summer  is  now  hastening  to  a 
close,  and  we  have  not  yet  entered  Germany.  But 
there  is  no  use  in  fretting.  We  talk  over  the  affair 
every  day,  and  amuse  ourselves  with  wondering  what 
comments  you  will  all  make  on  the  subject,  and  with 
hoping  every  Tuesday,  we  may  get  away  the  next  Fri- 
day, and  every  Friday,  that  we  may  be  able  to  leave  the 
next  Tuesday. 

Meanwhile  we  are  as  pleasantly  situated  as  possible, 
under  like  circumstances.  Our  hotel  is  good,  and  what 
is  of  quite  as  much  consequence  just  now,  the  charges 
are  reasonable ;  we  are  surrounded  by  good  friends, 


132  LETTERS. 

whose  houses  and  hearts  are  ever  open  to  us  ;  twice  a 
week  we  see  the  latest  newspapers  from  the  United 
States,  and  every  Sunday  we  enjoy  the  great  privilege 
of  going  twice  to  church. 

And  now  I  fancy  I  hear  you  ask,  "  what  have  you 
done  to  amuse- yourselves  all  this  time?"  and  this  rea- 
sonable question  I  shall  now  proceed  to  answer. 

For  several  days  after  my  last  letter,  I  was  not  well 
enough  to  do  much  of  anything,  except  to  read  a  little 
and  write  a  little  each  day.  That  tardy  journal  of 
mine  was  halting  a  little  behind,  and  I  tugged  at  that 
every  day  to  bring  it  up.  Then  it  was  such  a  luxury 
to  sit  quietly  down  and  read,  and  we  had  so  many 
books  lent  us  by  our  good  friends  here,  that  the  hours 
glided  by  almost  insensibly  in  the  company  of  an  inter- 
esting author. 

I  had  enough  of  early  rising  when  circumstances 
compelled  me  to  practice  that  virtue,  so  that  I  have 
indulged  at  will  in  morning  naps.  Every  morning, 
between  eight  and  nine  o'clock,  the  band  plays  in  front 
of  the  Palace,  while  the  guard  is  changed,  and  the 
strains  of  music,  oft  of  some  well  remembered  air, 
mingle  most  deliciously  with  my  late  dreams,  and  my 
early  reveries.  During  the  heat  of  the  day  I  have  sel- 
dom been  out,  but  after  dinner  we  take  a  walk,  ending 
each  day  with  a^quiet  evening  spent  with  some  of  our 
friends  here. 

To-day  we  are  told  we  may  leave  next  week ;  go  as 
far  as  the  island  of  Syra,  where  we  must  perform  quar- 
antine eight  days,  after  which  we  may  take  the  next  Aus- 
trian steamer  to  Trieste.  Think  of  that !  What  a  pros- 
pect !  Eight  days'  quarantine  in  that  lazaretto,  under  a 
burning  sun,  without  a  tree  to  shade  that  glaring  edifice  ! 


LETTERS.  133 

The  very  thought  of  it  makes  me  shudder.  But  we 
shall  do  that,  rather  than  run  the  risk  of  being  kept 
here  till  next  September. 

But  allow  me  to  enter  a  little  more  into  particulars 
of  our  evening  amusements.  One  day  last  week  imme- 
diately after  dinner  we  drove  out  to  "the  Queen's 
Farm,"  about  five  miles  from  town.  This  is  a  favorite 
ride  of  the  Queen's,  and  she  goes  there  nearly  every 
evening  to  drink  milk  and  eat  ices,  with  which  we 
should  have  been  delighted  to  have  been  regaled,  but 
unfortunately  those  good  things  are  only  served  up  for 
royal  personages.  "We  found  everything  there  in  the 
nicest  order ;  a  beautiful  garden,  well  stocked  with 
fruits  and  flowers  ;  a  fertile  vineyard,  with  immense 
clusters  of  ripening  fruit ;  a  large  barn  yard,  full  of 
poultry,  and  fat  cows,  and  frolicsome  calves,  and  a 
small  castle-like  house,  from  the  terrace  of  which  we 
obtained  a  splendid  view  of  Athens  and  its  environs. 

Another  evening  we  went  to  the  palace  to  see  the 
King  and  Queen  ride  out.  Looking  into  the  garden, 
we  saw  the  Queen  in  a  little  carriage  driving  two  of 
the  most  charming  ponies  imaginable.  After  that,  she 
mounted  her  horse  and  dashed  by  us,  the  King  hurry- 
ing on  to  catch  up  with  her.  They  are  very  particular 
in  bowing  to  every  one  who  salutes  them,  the  Bang 
gracefully  touching  his  cap  to  all  ladies. 

I  enjoyed  exceedingly  a  quiet  walk  in  that  lovely 
garden.  The  flowers,  and  the  trees,  and  the  clear  sky, 
and  the  glimpses  of  ruined  temples,  and  the  people  in 
gay  attire,  formed  a  beautiful  and  ever-varying  picture. 
I  am  perfectly  in  love  with  the  costume  worn  by  the 
men ;  the  full  kirtle,  the  richly  embroidered  gaiters 
and  jackets,  the  large  open  sleeve  flowing  behind  and 


134  LETTERS. 

displaying  the  full  sleeve  of  the  shirt,  dazzlingly  clean 
and  white,  the  red  cap,  hanging  gracefully  down  one 
side,  with  its  long  blue  tassel,  combined  with  the  grace- 
ful walk  of  these  men,  make  them  look  like  heroes  on 
a  stage.  Unfortunately  the  women,  except  on  great 
festivals,  have  dropped  the  peculiar  costume  of  their 
country,  and  dress  too  much  like  other  Europeans,  ex- 
cept many  of  them  wear  a  red  cap,  with  a  braid  of  hair 
twisted  around  it,  or  a  handkerchief  folded  with  pecu- 
liar grace  around  the  head. 

One  day  this  week  we  climbed  to  the  summit  of  Ly- 
cabettus,  and  a  hard  climb  I  found  it,  particularly  after 
the  weakness  incidental  to  sickness,  and  to  leading  so 
inactive  a  life  as  I  have  lately  done,  but  the  magnificent 
view  from  the  top  more  than  paid  for  the  labor  of 
reaching  it.  Let  me  copy  here  a  few  words  from  my 
note  book,  written  on  the  spot.  "  At  our  feet  lies  Ath- 
ens, girdled  by  brown  plains  and  rugged  hills,  except 
where  the  vineyards  and  '  olive  groves  of  Academe, 
Plato's  retirement,'  present  the  appearance  of  a  broad 
green  belt.  The  hills  are  clothed  in  their  robes  of  am- 
ethystic  hue,  while  the  blue  sea  glitters  beyond,  dotted 
with  islands,  queenly  Egina,  and  *  sea  born  Salamis,' 
showing  the  most  conspicuously.  Yonder  rises  the 
Acropolis,  and  over  its  turreted  walls,  stands  out  every 
pillar  of  the  Parthenon  in  bold  relief  against  the  glow- 
ing sky.  And  there  too  I  see  Mars'  Hill,  where  the 
intrepid  Paul  proclaimed  a  new  religion  to  the  '  men 
of  Athens.'  How  lonely  stand  the  pillars  of  Jupiter 
Olympus,  and  yet  how  majestic,  for  the  very  heavens 
seem  to  rest  upon  them  ! 

"  And  I  can  trace  the  bed  of  the  Ilissus,  from  the  mar- 
gin of  green  that  follows  its  windings,  though  the  wa- 


LETTERS.       f  135 

ter  itself  has  quite  disappeared.  Beyond,  stretches  up 
Hymettus,  a  few  green  patches  shining  out  here  and 
there,  and  further  still,  rises  Pentelicus,  with  its  rich 
quarries  of  marbles,  while  between  us  and  that  lay 
vineyards  and  olive  groves.  Out  from  the  green  trees 
peep  forth  white  houses,  forming  many  a  picture  of 
rural  beauty.  But  the  greatest  charm  of  all  is  the  ex- 
quisite coloring  of  the  earth  and  the  sky ;  the  purple 
hills  and  the  glowing  hues  that  envelope  all  as  with  a 
rich  veil." 

The  rocky  summit  of  Lycabettus  is  crowned  with  a 
little  church,  and  as  I  looked  within,  the  air  came 
wafted  with  rich  incense,  and  the  murmur  of  a  soft 
sweet  voice  reached  my  ear.  A  young  candidate  for 
holy  orders,  (so  I  judged  from  his  dress)  was  standing 
with  rapt  face,  chanting  a  hymn,  his  clear  olive  com- 
plexion, and  dark  eyes,  lighted  up  with  enthusiasm, 
and  his  whole  appearance  showing  that  his  heart  and 
his  soul  were  engaged  in  the  worship  he  was  offering 
up.  His  long  black  hair  hung  in  wavy  curls  on  his 
shoulders,  and  as  he  came  out  on  the  rock,  and  cast  his 
eyes  over  the  scene,  the  bright  red  spot  glowing  on  his 
brown  cheek,  and  the  fire  yet  in  his  dark  eyes,  I 
thought  I  had  never  seen  a  more  interesting  face. 

Yesterday  evening  we  went  again  to  the  Acropolis. 
Did  I  before  tell  you  that  in  ascending  the  hill  we 
passed  the  ruins  of  the  theatre  of  Herodius  Atticus 
and  of  the  temple  of  Bacchus  ?  The  arched  openings  in 
the  massive  walls  of  the  theatre  served  as  a  frame  to  the 
picture  beyond,  a  picture  formed  of  undulating  mead- 
ows, set  off  in  the  background  by  mountain  peaks  and 
a  glimmering  of  blue  water.  I  noticed  last  evening,  what 
escaped  my  observation  before,  that  there  is  a  double 


136  LETTERS. 

row  of  pillars  at  each  end  of  the  Parthenon,  and  that 
all  the  pillars  taper  towards  the  top. 

With  difficulty  we  climed  up  a  ruined  staircase,  and 
stood  upon  the  top  of  the  Parthenon,  and  saw  the  sun 
sink  slowly  behind  the  hills.  "What  an  exquisite  scene 
it  was !  How  matchless  was  the  coloring  that  wrapped 
all  as  in  a  halo !  The  calm  water,  the  sea-girt  isles,  the 
beautiful  form  of  the  mountains,  "  the  flowery  hill, 
Hymettus,"  the  rock  crowned  Lycabettus,  the  distant 
Pentelicus,  with  its  summit  tinged  with  soft  roseate 
hues,  the  varied  tints  of  the  sky,  here  like  molten  gold, 
there  fading  away  to  a  delicate  straw  color ;  here  a 
glowing  crimson,  there  a  pale  pink  or  lovely  lilac,  the 
sober  brown  of  the  plains,  and  the  rich  green  of  "  the 
olive  groves  of  Academe,"  the  temple  and  its  age- 
stained  pillars,  each  had  its  own  peculiar  shades  and 
tints.  Seen  under  that  lovely  sky,  and  through  that 
pure  air,  even  the  scenes  of  earth  took  a  heavenly  hue. 

And  then  we  descended  the  stairs,  and  going  to  the 
upper  end  of  the  Parthenon,  we  seated  ourselves  in  the 
marble  chairs  occupied  by  the  King  and  Queen  of 
Greece  when  they  attend  the  meetings  of  the  antiqua- 
rian society.  Right  through  the  massive  portal,  be- 
tween the  gigantic  pillars,  I  saw  a  little  glimmering 
sea,  backed  by  purple  hills,  upon  which  rested  a  sky 
perfectly  glorious  in  its  tints  of  amber  and  gold.  I  sat 
rapt  in  admiration  at  the  scene.  No  words  could  do 
justice  to  the  delicious  blending  of  colors  in  sea  and 
sky,  in  hill  and  dale  ;  and  this  exquisite  blending  is 
one  of  the  peculiar  charms  of  Greece. 

Slowly,  as  though  loath  to  depart,  these  glowing  tints 
began  to  fade,  and  as  they  paled  away,  brighter  and 
brighter  shone  the  moon,  and  more  and  more  lustrous 


LETTERS.  137* 

glowed  the  stars.  The  beauty  of  the  ancient  Parthenon 
was  said  to  be  the  roof  of  Parian  marble,  adorned  with 
sculpture  and  paintings  and  gilding,  but  to  me,  there 
could  be  no  fitter  covering  than  the  clear  sky,  studded 
with  its  countless  stars.  I  don't  know  why  it  is,  but  a 
column  standing  alone,  touches  me  more  than  to  see  a 
cluster  of  them  together.  It  seems  to  speak  of  one 
who  is  left  alone  to  battle  with  life's  storms,  without  a 
friend  to  love  him  or  to  smile  upon  him. 

How  softly  fell  the  moonbeams  on  the  pale  marble  ! 
How  beautifully  were  brought  out  the  pillars  and  the 
statues !  You  may  laugh  at  me,  and  call  it  all  enthu- 
siasm, but  I  can  assure  you  I  would  gladly  have  sat  in 
that  chair  of  marble,  and  gazed  on  that  exquisite  scene 
till  midnight.  Our  two  weeks'  imprisonment  here 
seemed  not  all  in  vain,  since  it  gave  us  an  opportunity 
to  see  the  Parthenon  by  moonlight. 

In  all  my  roamings  in  and  about  Athens,  I  seem  like 
one  who  treads  upon  consecrated  soil,  for  is  it  not  true, 
what  Byron  said,  . 

"  Where'er  we  tread,  'tis  haunted,  holy  ground1?" 

And  oft  and  again  I  murmur  some  of  the  glowing  lines 
penned  by  him,  when  he  visited 

"  Fair  Greece,  sad  relic  of  departed  worth, 
Immortal,  though  no  more ;  though  fallen,  great." 

And  as  I  stood  last  evening  on  the  top  of  the  Par- 
thenon, on 

"  the  giant  height 
Which  looks  o'er  waves  so  blue,  skies  so  serene," 

I  felt  indeed, 

"  That  he  who  there  at  such  an  hour  hath  been, 
Will  wistful  linger  on  that  hallowed  spot, 
And  slowly  tear  him  from  the  witching  scene." 


138  LETTERS. 

Changed  as  Athens  is  from  her  former  days  of  glory, 
to  me  she  is  still  lovely,  and  as  I  view  her  varied 
beauties  from  one  point  or  other,  I  say,  • 

"  Yet  are  thy  skies  as  blue,  thy  crags  as  wild ; 
Sweet  are  thy  groves  and  verdant  are  thy  fields, 
Thine  olive  ripe  as  when  Minerva  smiled, 
And  still  his  honeyed  wealth  Hymettus  yields  ; 
There  the  blithe  bee  his  fragrant  fortress  builds, 
The  free-born  wanderer  of  thy  mountain  air ; 
Apollo  still  thy  long,  long  summer  gilds, 
Still  in  his  beams  Mendeli's  marbles  glare ; 
Art,  Glory,  Freedom  fail,  but  Nature  still  is  fair." 

Some  of  the  time  that  we  have  been  here,  the  heat 
has  been  intense,  the  air  blowing  as  from  an  oven ;  at 
others,  a  north  wind  has  prevailed,  bringing  comforta- 
ble days  and  cool,  delicious  nights.  One  comfort  can 
be  enjoyed  at  Athens,  and  that  is,  ices  every  evening. 
How  often  we  have  sat  in  the  open  air,  under  the  clear 
canopy  of  heaven,  and  sipped  an  ice,  front  of  some  cafe*, 
in  company  with  the  dear  friends  here.  The  remem- 
brance of  these  scenes  of  earthly  comforts  will  not  soon 
be  effaced. 

Aug.  6th.  Good  news  for  you !  We  are  off  to-mor- 
row !  After  "  every  thing  said  and  done,"  we  are 
assured  we  may  go  to-morrow  evening  in  the  French 
steamer  to  Syra,  and  after  waiting  there  three  days, 
take  the  Austrian  steamer,  and  proceed  at  once  to  Tri- 
este, without  being  obliged  to  perform  quarantine  at 
Syra.  Is  not  this  cheering  intelligence  ? 

We  have  made  our  last  calls  on  our  kind  friends  here, 
and  I  can  assure  you,  though  glad  once  more  to  be  on 
the  way,  we  are  very  sorry  to  part  from  them.  Their 
kind  attentions  to  us  have  been  rendered  to  the  last,  and 
among  my  pleasant  recollections  of  Athens,  the  hours  I 


LETTERS.  139 

spent  in  friendly  intercourse  with  them,  will  stand  out 
in  full  relief.  Long,  too,  shall  I  remember  our  quiet 
Sundays  here,  and  the  beautiful  little  church  where  we 
offered  up  our  prayers  and  our  thanksgivings. 

I  bid  farewell  here  to  one  long-tried  friend,  my  sad- 
dle, which  has  done  me  such  good  service  in  Egypt, 
Palestine  and  Syria,  but  which  I  shall  no  longer  need, 
as  I  shall  soon  be  in  the  region  of  railroads  and  dili- 
gences. 

Oh !  but  I  must  not  forget  to  tell  you  of  a  drive  we 
took  yesterday,  part  way  up  Hymettus,  to  the  village  of 
Caraa,  where  we  had  the  pleasure  of  being  introduced 
to  the  far-famed  "  MaM  of  Athens,"  at  present  known 
to  the  Athenian  world  as  Mrs.  Black.  She  has  recently 
lost  her  oldest  son,  under  trying  circumstances,  and  her 
face  is  very  grave  and  sad,  true  heart-sorrow  being 
shadowed  forth  in  her  eyes,  which  are  very,  very  mourn- 
ful. I  cannot  fancy  her  ever  being  beautiful,  though 
doubtless  in  her  youth  and  bloom,  she  had  a  speaking, 
interesting  face. 

And  now  I  must  say  adieu,  for  night  is  waning,  and 
I  have  much  to  do  to-morrow. 


140  LETTERS, 


LETTER    LX. 

Departure  from  Athens. — Hindrances. — Arrival  at  Syra. — Trouble  about 
Lodgings. — Syra. — Evening  Promenades. — Tinos. — Miraculous  Shrine. 
— Exquisite  Views. — Old  Town. — Convent. — Church  of  St.  George. — 
Delicious  Evenings. 

SYRA,  Aug.  10th. 
MY  DEAR  F : 

Thus  far  we  are  on  our  destined  way  towards  Trieste, 
and  here  we  have  been  waiting,  this  is  now  the  third 
day,  in  an  uncomfortable  hotel,  and  in  weather,  the 
heat  of  which  would  prove  trying  to  a  more  amiable 
person  than  myself. 

Up  to  the  last  moment  of  our  leaving  Athens,  it 
seemed  uncertain  about  our  getting  away,  the  agent  of 
the  Austrian  company  saying  he  was  by  no  means  sure 
the  steamer  would  take  us  from  Syra,  and  confidently 
telling  us  we  might  have  to  be  shut '  up  in  this  little 
island  for  a  month.  Not  a  pleasant  prospect,  to  be  sure ! 
On  the  reception  of  this  intelligence,  a  "  palaver"  was 
held,  at  which  some  said  one  thing  and  some  another, 
but  the  general  conclusion  was,  that  if  we  were  to  be 
shut  up  in  any  place,  that  place  would  better  be  Athens 
than  Syra.  I  will  not  burden  you,  nor  this  sheet,  with 
the  pros  and  cons ;  suffice  it  to  say,  we  were  willing  to 
try  our  chance  of  being  shut  up  here,  or  of  going  on  to 
Trieste.  Dr.  Beretti,  an  eminent  lawyer  from  Pera, 
who  came  with  us  from  Constantinople,  and  who  had 
been  fellow-prisoner  with  us  in  Athens,  was  determined 
to  make  a  bold  push  to  get  home,  having  been  kept  from 
his  business  three  weeks,  and  we  decided  to  share  his 


L  E  T  T  E  E  S .  141 

fate,  feeling  confident  if  he  could  go  to  Constantinople, 
we  could  to  Trieste. 

The  boat  was  to  start  from  the  Phalerum,  instead  of 
the  Piraeus,  which  is  still  in  quarantine,  and  the  hour 
of  her  departure  was  given  at  six.  It  seemed  to  me  we 
should  never  get  away  from  Athens,  for  every  thing 
went  wrong.  At  first,  the  horses  would  not  move,  and 
the  coachman  was  obliged  to  send  to  the  stable  for  other 
horses.  At  last,  after  innumerable  delays,  we  were  off, 
but  the  very  first  hill  we  came  to,  the  new  horses 
stopped.  I  was  sure  we  should  be  left,  and  my  blood 
rose  to  fever  heat,  and  I  grew  nervous  and  irritable.  I 
could  not  attempt  to  count  the  times  we  started  and 
stopped,  but  at  last,  the  coachman  meeting  a  return 
carriage,  made  a  bargain  for  us  to  be  taken  down  in 
that,  so  out  we  bundled,  with  all  our  luggage,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  were  dashing  furiously  towards  the  harbor. 
Will  you  believe  it,  when  we  arrived  there,  we  found 
the  steamer  would  not  leave  till  eight  o'clock,  the 
French  ambassador  having  sent  down  a  message  for 
them  to  wait  till  that  hour  for  dispatches !  I  made 
an  inward  vow  then  never  to  be  impatient,  nor  to  fret 
again,  which  I  am  very  much  afraid  I  shall  break  at  the 
first  temptation. 

I  witnessed  one  more  sunset,  equal  in  beauty  and 
gorgeousness  of  coloring  to  any  I  have  ever  seen,  and 
then  I  bade  farewell  to  Athens,  not  the  last  adieu,  how- 
ever, as  we  must  go  back  there  to-morrow. 

I  never  saw  a  lovelier  night  than  that  on  which  we 
ran  from  Athens  here.  The  sea  was  calm,  the  sky 
cloudless,  the  moon  and  the  stars  lustrous,  the  views 
matchless,  as  we  passed  amid  a  succession  of  islands, 
rising  up  like  fortresses  from  the  sea,  and  presenting 


142  LETTERS. 

new  and  varying  scenes  of  beauty.  I  was  in  ecstacies 
with  all  I  beheld,  and  went  from  side  to  side,  murmur- 
ing snatches  of  poetry  and  song  about  fair  Greece,  till 
my  enthusiasm  was  raised  to  the  highest  pitch,  and  I 
recited  to  my  Greek  companion  Fitz  Halleck's  beautiful 
poem  of  Marco  Bozzaris,  with  which  he  was  delighted. 
I  was  sorry  when  the  time  came  to  exchange  the  lovely 
prospect  from  the  deck  for  the  close  cabin,  but  there 
was  no  alternative ;  my  companions  were  tired,  and  I 
could  not  stay  on  deck  without  them.  There  was  a 
port-hole  in  my  berth,  and  more  than  twenty  times  I 
awoke  in  the  night  and  looked  out,  and  always  I  saw 
the  glittering  sea  and  a  mountainous  shore. 

When  morning  came,  we  were  in  the  harbor  of  Syra, 
and  as  the  wind  was  blowing  freshly,  there  was  what 
the  English  call  such  a  "  nasty  motion,"  we  were  all 
glad  to  get  up,  dress  in  a  hurry  and  come  on  shore. 
When  I  complained  so  bitterly  of  the  heat,  as  we  lay  in 
this  harbor  four  weeks  ago,  I  little  knew  that  the  heat 
was  saving  us  from  what  would  have  been  far  more  un- 
pleasant, namely,  short,  quick,  "  bobbing"  waves,  trying 
to  the  strongest  head  and  stomach. 

I  need  not  dwell  upon  our  search  for  lodgings ;  the 
three  little  hotels  of  Syra  were  full,  and  not  a  room  was 
to  be  had:  What  "  money,"  however,  could  not  pro- 
cure, "love"  obtained,  for  a  friend  of  Dr.  B.'s,  Judge 
Cassimati,  kindly  offered  us  his  room,  which  was  the 
largest  and  best  in  this  hotel.  I  need  not  say  we  were 
delicate  about  accenting  such  an  offer,  even  though 
made  in  the  most  polite  and  friendly  manner ;  but  what 
was  I  to  do  ?  The  gentlemen  might  "  rough  it,"  and 
sleep  on  beds  made  up  in  the  hall,  but  I  must  have  a 
room  some  where,  so  I  gladly  and  thankfully  accepted 


LETTERS.  143 

the  offer,  made  in  so  kind  a  spirit.  An  extra  bed  is 
put  up  at  night  for  J.,  Dr.  B.  sleeps  in  a  closet,  while 
Judge  C.  occupies  a  narrow  passage  leading  to  our  room. 
In  this  room  we  all  congregate  during  the  day,  when 
the  heat  is  too  intense  to  permit  us  to  go  out,  and  read- 
ing, conversation  and  eating  fill  up  the  time.  We  sit 
with  our  doors  and  windows  open,  to  catch  what  little 
air  is  stirring,  and  we  have  been  much  amused  by  the 
conduct  of  two  of  the  waiters  and  the  landlord,  who, 
at  little  intervals,  come  to  the  door  of  the  room,  stand 
still  a  moment,  casting  their  eyes  all  around,  then  de- 
liberately turn  about  and  walk  away.  At  first  I  sup- 
posed they  were  looking  for  something,  and  I  invariably 
asked  them  in  Italian,  Greek  being  a  "  dead  language" 
to  me,  what  they  wanted,  but  they  never  vouchsafed  a 
reply.  At  last,  Dr.  B.  could  bear  it  no  longer,  and  at 
the  next  visitation  on  the  part  of  the  waiter,  which  hap- 
pened while  Judge  C.  was  reading  aloud,  he  jumped  up 
and  ran  out  into  the  passage,  showering  a  torrent  of 
Greek  upon  the  astonished  waiter,  and  ending  by  ask- 
ing him  what  he  meant  by  coming  into  the  room  and 
looking  about  in  that  manner.  The  cool  reply  was, 
"  Because  God  has  given  me  two  eyes  to  see  all  that  is 
going  on !" 

But  now  let  me  tell  you  a  little  about  Syra.  As  I 
said  before,  it  is  a  small  island,  being  only  ten  miles 
long  and  five  wide.  The  old  town  is  built  on  a  conical 
hill,  rising  abruptly,  while  at  its  foot,  and  on  either  side, 
is  spread  the  new  town,  which  has  well  paved  streets, 
and  some  very  handsome  houses.  In  the  hills  back  of 
the  town,  abound  mica,  slate,  and  an  inferior  kind  of 
marble,  and  garnets  are  occasionally  found,  and  iron 
ore  in  considerable  profusion.  Some  travellers  have 


144  LETTERS. 

praised  the  wines  of  Syra,  but  they  must  like  a  mixture 
of  acidity  and  rosin  better  than  I  do.  Homer  once  de- 
scribed the  island  as 

"  Fertile  in  flocks,  in  herds,  in  wine,  in  corn," 

but  I  believe  that  description  can  hardly  apply  to  the 
state  of  the  island  at  present.  The  importance  of  Syra 
depends  now  upon  its  being  one  of  the  principal  ports 
of  the  Levant,  vessels  from  all  parts  of  the  world  stop- 
ping here. 

"When  the  heat  of  the  day  is  beginning  to  subside,  all 
the  inhabitants  betake  themselves  to  different  prome- 
nades and  places  of  resort,  and,  of  course,  we  followed 
the  multitude.  "We  first  went  to  a  high  cliff,  on  the 
right  of  the  town,  and  here  we  had,  not  only  a  refresh- 
ing sea  breeze,  but  one  of  the  most  delightful  prospects 
imaginable,  the  blue  sea,  stretching  for  miles  and  miles 
away,  dotted  with  islands  clothed  in  as  lovely  tints  as 
the  sea  itself.  Tinos  and  Mycone  and  Paros  were  all 
clustered  within  a  little  distance  of  us,  and  the  white 
houses  and  the  pretty  churches  of  Tinos  seemed  almost 
beneath  our  feet,  though  more  than  twelve  miles  off. 
In  one  of  the  churches  at  Tinos  is  a  miraculous  shrine, 
and  the  believers  in  this  shrine  dwelling  at  Syra,  come 
to  this  cliff  every  evening,  and  as  the  sun  goes  down, 
kneel  upon  the  hard  rock,  with  their  faces  towards  the 
favored  isle,  and  offer  up  their  vesper  song  and  prayer. 

I  wish  I  could  convey  to  you  the  irresistible  charm 
there  is  about  these  sea-girt  isles,  with  their  exquisite 
tints,  and  the  delicious  sky  above,  perfectly  glowing  and 
radiant  with  beautiful  hues,  but  my  powers  of  descrip- 
tion are  quite  too  feeble  for  the  theme,  and  I  must  con- 
tent myself  with  feeling  their  power,  without  being  able 
to  impart  their  fascinations  to  others. 


LETTERS.  145 

In  a  pretty  square,  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  newly 
laid  out  and  planted  with  trees,  we  sat  down,  to  refresh 
ourselves  according  to  our  respective  tastes,  one  taking 
coffee,  another  a  pipe,  while  others  contented  themselves 
with  the  less  excitable  beverage  of  cool  lemonade. 
Around  dozens  of  little  tables,  similar  groups  were 
seated,  engaged  in  similar  occupations,  while  the  wait- 
ers, from  an  adjoining  coffee-house,  were  flying  hither 
and  thither,  administering  to  the  various  wants  of  the 
company.  Night  came  on,  soft  and  beautiful,  and  still 
we  sat,  and  talked  of  Greece  and  her  prospects,  a  sub- 
ject of  which  I  "never  tire. 

Then  we  walked  to  another  cliff,  o'erhanging  the  sea, 
and  there  we  found  hundred  of  persons  walking  about, 
or  sitting  round  little  tables,  eating  and  drinking,  and 
listening  to  fine  music  from  a  band  stationed  in  front  of 
a  cafe*.  The  night  was  perfectly  lovely,  the  sea  calm 
and  noiseless,  the  moon  and  the  stars  lustrous,  while 
the  different  islands  reared  themselves  proudly  and 
beautifully  from  the  blue  waters.  Gay  groups  were 
constantly  passing,  the  soft  and  musical  language  of  the 
Greek  mingled  occasionally  with  the  flowing  Italian 
tongue,  and  the  harsh  Turkish.  The  "  tall  Albanian,, 
kirtled  to  the  knee,"  walked  majestically  by,  and  as  I 
looked  on  their  noble  forms  and  handsome  faces,  and 
eyes  on  which  a  shadow  of  mournfulness  rested,  I  could 
but  think  perhaps  they,  too,  were  meditating  upon  the 
past  glories  of  their  country,  and  daring  to  hope  and  to 
pray  that  "  Greece  might  yet  be  free." 

Yesterday  afternoon  we  walked  to  the  summit  of  the 
old  town,  and  a  curious  place  it  is  too,  with  its  stee£>,, 
narrow  streets,  many  of  them  consisting  of  flights  of 
steps  leading  from  one  height  to  another,  the  roof  of  one 
10 


146  LETTERS. 

house  being  on  a  level  with  the  ground  floor  of  the  one 
above  it ;  and  singular  little  houses  they  were  too,  each 
one  having  its  tenants  of  men,  women,  children  and  pigs. 

On  our  way  up  we  stopped  at  a  convent,  where  is  an 
English  girl,  whose  mother  I  often  met  in  Athens,  and 
as  I  thought  of  the  lone  mother  in  her  widowhood, 
deprived  of  her  children,  (for  another  daughter  is  in 
a  different  convent)  I  could  but  •  mourn  over  those 
mistaken  notions  of  duty  and  religion,  that  could  thus 
shut  the  hearts  of  children  to  the  claims  of  home  and 
affection. 

The  church  of  St.  George  crowns  the  height  upon 
which  the  old  town  is  built,  and  from  the  terrace  in 
front  we  had  an  extensive  view  of  hill  and  vale,  sea 
and  isle.  Many  of  the  hills  were  covered  with  vine- 
yards, dotted  here  and  there  by  white  houses  peeping 
out  from  among  the  vines,  but  the  fairest  view  of  all 
was  "  the  sea,  the  deep  blue  sea,"  and  the  purple 
islands,  mingling  far  away  with  the  very  clouds. 

The  evening  was  ended  on  the  cliffs,  and  I,  for  one, 
can  never  forget  the  two  delicious  evenings  spent  at 
Syra.  As  far  as  hotel  comforts  are  concerned,  we  have 
had  nothing  to  boast  of  in  that  line  during  our  three 
days'  sojourn  in  this  island,  but  we  have  had,  what 
hotels  rarely  furnish,  the  charms  of  delightful  inter- 
course with  heart  and  intellect,  and  that  has  cheered 
and  softened  all,  making  even  the  heat  endurable,  for 
we  could  sit  still  and  talk,  and  badly  cooked  food,  and 
swarms  of  vermin  at  night,  only  heightened  this 
delight.  But  all  these  things,  pleasant  and  unpleasant, 
must  now  be  left  behind,  for  the  Austrian  steamer  has 
arrived,  and  there  is  no  impediment  thrown  in  the  way 
of  our  leaving  ;  so  in  a  few  hours  we  are  off,  and  with 


LETTERS.  147 

• 

saddened  hearts  we  must  bid  farewell  to  friends  whom 
we  may  never  see  again. 


LETTER    LXI. 

Departure  from  Syra. — Incident. — Pleasant  voyage. — Pirceus. — Cerigo. — 
Modon. — Navarino. — Zante. — Ionian  Islands. — Cephalonia. — Ithaca. — 
St.  Maura. — Paxos. — Corfu. — Ruins  of  Pola. — Trieste. 

TRIESTE,  Aug.  16th. 
MY  DEAR  P. : 

At  length  our  long  voyage  of  more  than  a  thousand 
miles  is  ended,  and  we  are  landed  safely  on  the  shore  of 
Austria.  And  a  pleasant  voyage  it  has  been  too  ;  lovely 
days  and  quiet  nights,  the  sea  almost  without  a  ripple, 
and  the  sky  without  a  cloud.  Being  the  only  lady  pas- 
senger, I  have  had  the  ladies'  cabin  quite  to  myself,  and 
every  night  I  have  lain  with  the  window  in  my  berth 
open,  and  many  times  I  have  wakened  and  looked  out 
upon  the  calm  sea,  and  the  distant  shore.  Nothing 
can  exceed  the  beauty  of  these  summer  nights,  except- 
ing always  those  of  Egypt  and  the  Desert.  The  sun- 
sets have  been  resplendent,  the  moon  and  the  stars 
bright  yet  soft,  while  ever  and  anon,  across  the  heav- 
ens, has  darted  some  brilliant  meteor.  Every  evening 
while  we  were  in  Athens,  we  saw  such  meteors  repeat- 
edly, and  bright  and  beautiful  things  they  were  too, 
leaving  often  a  train  of  light  behind  them  which  would 
last  several  minutes. 

We  came  on  board  the  steamer  Thursday  evening 
the  10th,  but  though  we  were  told  to  be  there  by  seven, 
the  anchor  was  not  weighed  till  long  after  I  was  in  my 
berth.  At  the  hotel  where  we  were  staying  in  Syra, 


148  LETTERS. 

• 

there  was  an  Italian  lady,  a  widow,  who  with  her  two 
children  was  coming  to  Trieste,  her  home,  which  seve- 
ral years  ago  she  had  left,  to  go  with  her  husband  to 
Crete.  Unfortunately  her  little  boy  had  been  ill,  and 
when  they  came  to  the  steamer,  some  objection  was 
made  to  taking  them  on  board,  but  their  objections 
were  finally  overruled,  and  she  took  possession  of  her 
allotted  place.  But  in  a  few  hours,  the  child  changed 
rapidly,  and  when  the  captain  and  the  agent  came  on 
board,  they  refused  to  allow  them  to  go  on,  so  late  in 
the  evening  they  were  put  in  a  small  boat  and  sent  to 
the  lazaretto,  for  the  steamer  being  in  quarantine, 
they  could  not  immediately  go  back  into  the  town. 
My  heart  ached  for  the  poor  afflicted  woman,  but  all 
remonstrances  were  in  vain,  the  agent  assuring  us  that 
if  we  came  to  Trieste  with  that  sick  child  on  board,  or 
that  if  he  died  on  the  passage,  we  should  inevitably  be 
put  into  quarantine  for  at  least  fifteen  days.  I  said  all 
I  could  to  comfort  the  sorrowing  mother,  for  she  looked 
as  though  her  heart  was  breaking,  and  as  though  she 
felt  she  was  without  friends  in  the  world.  I  suppose, 
too,  her  means  were  straitened,  and  I  don't  know  how 
well  she  could  bear  this  further  hindrance  in  a  pecuni- 
ary point  of  view.  I  did  not  like  to  offer  her  money, 
but  I  gave  her  my  hearty  sympathy,  and  she  thanked 
me  gratefully  for  it,  and  the  last  I  saw  of  her,  was 
after  she  was  seated  in  the  small  boat,  pressing  her  sick 
child  to  her  breast  with  one  hand,  and  her  handkerchief 
to  her  streaming  eyes  with  the  other.  Silently  the 
oars  were  dipped  into  the  water,  and  then  the  boat 
glided  away  in  the  distance  and  darkness — fit  emblem 
of  the  sadness  that  was  brooding  over  the  group  in  the 
stern. 


LETTERS.  149 

When  I  came  on  deck  the  next  morning,  we  were  at 
Pirceus,  the  harbor  of  Athens,  the  Acropolis  towering 
up  in  the  distance,  backed  by  Lycabettus  and  Hymet- 
tus,  while  at  their  feet  slumbered  the  city  of  Athens. 

And  there  we  lay  that  long  summer  day,  without 
any  communication  with  the  shore,  except  sending  off 
and  receiving  the  mails.  Small  boats,  with  their  daz- 
zling white  sails  darted  by  us,  but  none  dared  to  stop 
even  within  hail.  It  seemed  as  though  we  were 
already  doomed  to  death,  and  that  the  shadow  of  pesti- 
lence was  really  brooding  over  us. 

The  rocky  peninsula  of  Piroeus  is  supposed  to  have 
been  originally  an  island,  but  gradually  changed  into  a 
peninsula  by  the  accumulation  of  sand  between  the 
island  and  the  main  land.  The  fortifications  of  the 
harbor,  of  which  there  are  at  present  but  few  remains, 
were  erected  by  Themistocles,  whose  name  stands  forth 
proudly  in  the  annals  of  Greece. 

As  the  sun  went  down,  more  and  more  distinctly 
stood  out  the  pillars  of  the  Parthenon,  Lycabettus  and 
Hymettus  assumed  deeper  purple  hues,  and  the  sky 
grew  perfectly  radiant  with  its  tints  of  gold  and  crim- 
son, and  sapphire. 

At  length  we  were  off,  and  the  city  faded  away  in 
the  distance,  and  the  hills  mingled  indistinctly  with 
the  clouds,  and  the  fair  and  goodly  pillars  of  the  Par- 
thenon were  no  longer  visible,  and  then  I  felt  I  was 
bidding  a  long  and  perhaps  lasting  adieu  to  Athens. 

Among  "  isles  that  crown  the  Egean  deep,"  our 
course  lay,  till  it  was  time  for  me  to  go  below.  Early 
the  next  morning  I  was  awakened  by  the  .stopping  of 
the  steamer  ;  I  looked  out  my  window,  and  found  we 
were  before  the  island  of  Cerigo,  having  as  far  as  my 


150  LETTERS. 

eye  could  reach,  a  rugged  mountainous  coast.  In  clas- 
sic days  this  island  was  called  Cythera,  and  was  said 
to  have  received  Venus  after  she  arose  from  the  wave  ; 
and  to  have  been  afterwards  her  favorite  place  of  abode. 
The  island  is  about  twenty  miles  in  length  and  twelve 
in  breadth. 

We  had  now  sailed  down  the  whole  length  of  the 
eastern  coast  of  Greece,  and  after  rounding  the  capes, 
leaving  the  land  at  a  goodly  distance,  we  began  our 
progress  up  the  western  shore.  We  passed  between 
two  or  three  large  islands  and  the  main  land,  and  occa- 
sionally caught  a  glimpse  of  an  ancient  looking  town, 
or  a  fertile  spot,  but  generally  the  coast  of  Greece 
is  of  a  stern  and  severe  aspect,  befitting  well  the  char- 
acter of  the  old  Spartan,  and  the  present  wild  and  war- 
like Mainote. 

We  passed  the  town  of.  Modon  with  its  Venetian 
looking  fortresses  and  almost  hidden  by  a  rocky  island, 
saw  the  bay  and  town  of  Navarino,  where  was  fought 
in  1827,  I  think,  the  battle  that  for  a  time  decided 
the  fate  of  Greece. 

Towards  evening  we  came  in  sight  of  Zante,  celebrat- 
ed the  world  over  for  its  currants,  but  all  we  could  see 
of  the  island,  that  for  a  long  time  was  called  "  the 
flower  of  the  Levant,"  was  the  dim  outline  of  a  moun- 
tainous ridge.  During  the  night,  to  my  great  regret, 
we  passed  the  islands  of  Cephalonia,  Ithaca,  St.  Maura 
and  Paxos,  all  more  or  less  celebrated  in  classic  lore. 

Cephalonia  is  the  largest  of  the  Ionian  islands,  being 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  in  circumference. 
Ithaca  was  the  scene  of  many  of  Homer's  narratives, 
and  has  always  been  called  Ulysses'  own  isle.  Santa 
Maura  too  is  mentioned  in  Homer,  but  the  spot  in  the 


LETTERS.  151 

whole  island  which  is  most  particularly  interesting  to 
lovers  and  poets  is  the  high  cliff  called  Sappho's  leap, 
which  rises  precipitously  from  the  sea,  to  the  height  of 
two  hundred  feet.  This  is  "  Leucadia's  far  projecting 
rock  of  woe."  Here  it  is  said  the  gifted  daughter  of 
song,  when  enamored  of  Phaon,  leaped  from  the  rock 
into  the  sea,  and  in  later  days  victims  of  unrequited 
love  have  followed  her  example.  Moore  calls  it, 

"  The  very  spot  where  Sappho  sung 
Her  swan-like  music  ere  she  sprung, 
(Still  holding,  in  that  fearful  leap, 
By  her  loved  lyre,)  into  the  deep, 
And  dying,  quenched  the  fatal  fire 
At  once  of  both  her  heart  and  lyre." 

Paxos  is  a  very  small  island,  not  more  than  five  miles 
long  and  two  wide,  but  there  is  such  a  beautiful  legend 
connected  with  it,  I  cannot  forbear  from  repeating  it. 
"  At  the  time  of  our  Lord's  most  bitter  passion  and 
death,  a  cry  was  heard  announcing  the  death  of  the 
great  god  Pan,  and  this  cry  was  accompanied  by  such 
piteous  outcries  and  dreadful  shrieks,  as  the  like  of 
hath  never  been  heard."  It  is  to  this  legend  Milton  so 
beautifully  alludes,  in  his  ode  on"  the  Nativity. 

"  The  lonely  mountains  o'er, 
And  the  resounding  shore, 
A  voice  of  weeping  heard  and  loud  lament." 

When  I  came  on  deck  Sunday  morning,  a  delightful 
prospect  greeted  my  eyes.  On  the  right  rose  a  precipi- 
tous mountain  coast,  yet  showing  here  and  there  a  fer- 
tile spot,  or  a  cheerful  looking  little  village  peeping  out 
from  among  the  rocks  and  hills,  and  on  the  left  was  a 
shore  sloping  more  gradually  up,  dotted  over  with  vine- 
yards and  clumps  of  trees,  and  these  verdant  slopes 


152  LETTERS. 

and  green  trees  were  exceedingly  refreshing  to  the  eye, 
after  the  bare  hills  and  arid  plains  of  Attica.  Villages 
and  villas  were  scattered  here  and  there,  and  white 
sails  glided  over  the  clear  waters,  and  mists  rolled  over 
the  distant  mountain  tops,  now  enshrouding  all,  now 
revealing  hill  and  dale  and  wild  ravine.  I  turned  ea- 
gerly to  the  captain  to  ask  him  where  we  were,  and  found 
we  were  between  the  island  of  Corfu  and  the  coast  of 
Albania. 

About  nine  we  entered  the  harbor  of  the  town,  and 
saw  before  us  the  two  rugged  peaks  on  which  the  cita- 
del is  built,  while  the  other  parts  of  the  town  stretch 
along  the  shore,  and  extend  far  up  the  hill.  All  around 
were  vineyards  and  groves  and  pleasant  meadows,  and 
I  longed  to  exchange  the  deck  of  the  steamer  for  a 
'ramble  on  the  hills,  and  the  privilege  of  attending  Di- 
vine service  in  the  chapel  connected  with  the  garrison. 
But  we  were  in  quarantine,  and  were  allowed  to  have 
no  communication  with  the  shore.  Occasionally  small 
boats  would  come  off,  and  their  occupants  hold  a  scream- 
ing conversation  with  the  officers  or  passengers  of  the 
steamer,  and  towards  evening  large  baskets  of  fruit 
were  handed  up  the  side  of  the  steamer,  the  persons 
having  them  in  charge  being  very  careful  not  to  come 
in  contact  with  any  one  on  board.  And  what  delicious 
fruit  it  was  too.  All  the  time  we  were  on  board 
"  L'Egitto,"  we  had  the  nicest  grapes,  melons,  peaches, 
pears,  plums  and  oranges  at  breakfast  and  dinner,  and 
notwithstanding  the  prevalence  of  cholera,  I  revelled 
in  fruit,  for  you  know  I  always  go  on  the  principle  that 
ripe  fruit  will  never  hurt  any  one. 

Nearly  all  that  day  we  played  round  in  the  harbor, 
now  lying  directly  before  the  town,  and  now  going  to 


LETTERS.  153 

the  lazaretto  to  land  freight,  and  in  so  doing,  we  got 
different  views  of  the  town  and  the  adjoining  country. 

The  island  of  Corfu  is  about  forty  miles  long,  and  at 
its  greatest  width  twenty  miles  across.  It  was  men- 
tioned by  Herodotus,  though  under  the  name  of  Cor- 
ey ra  then  I  think,  and  its  existence  is  known  to  have 
dated  as  far  back  as  seven  hundred  and  thirty-four 
years  before  the  Christian  era.  After  being  subjected 
to  many  different  governments,  the  Ionian  islands  are 
now  erected  into  what  is  called  "  a  free  and  independ- 
ent State,"  under  the  immediate  protection,  however, 
of  the  English  government,  which  maintains  a  garrison 
in  every  important  island. 

After  dinner  we  left,  and  then  we  glided  along  a  nar- 
row channel,  the  rugged  coast  of  Albania  on  the  one 
hand,  and  the  diversified  shore  of  the  island  on  the 
other.  On  the  mainland  we  occasionally  saw  an  old 
town  and  a  bright  green  patch,  but  on  the  island  the 
whole  country  seemed  fertile  and  well  cultivated.  The 
sun  went  down  just  as  we  were  off  the  north  end  of 
the  island,  and  then  the  ocean  once  more  swept  before 
us,  though  the  coast  of  Albania  was  still  on.  our  right, 
and  as  the  twilight  deepened,  the  mountains  in  their 
robes  of  purple  hue,  could  scarcely  be  distinguished 
from  the  clouds  that  hovered  over  them. 

Nearly  all  day  Monday,  we  were  in  the  broad  Adri- 
atic, entirely  out  of  sight  of  land,  till  towards  evening, 
when  we  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  low  range  of  hills. 
The  sea  was  of  the  loveliest  blue,  and  the  air  was  de- 
lightfully refreshing  and  invigorating.  The  hot  breath 
of  the  East  and  the  South  seemed  to  be  left  far  behind, 
and  we  began  to  realize  we  were  approaching  the  cooler 
regions  of  the  North. 


154  LETTEES.    • 

Yesterday  we  skirted  the  shore  of  Dalmatia  and  Is- 
tria,  and  had  enchanting  views  of  pretty  islands,  and 
fertile  fields,  and  smiling  villages,  backed  by  a  range  of 
dark  mountains.  Some  of  the  scenes  were  exquisite. 
While  we  were  at  dinner,  we  came  in  sight  of  the  ruins 
of  Pola,  and  we  all  made  a  rush  for  the  deck,  and  saw 
before  us  an  immense  amphitheatre  of  reddish  stone, 
and  scattered  here  and  there  over  the  shore,  large  pil- 
lars and  broken  columns. 

One  of  the  prettiest  features  of  the  scene  yesterday, 
was  the  boats  we  were  constantly  meeting,  having 
sails  of  a  dark  yellow  color,  each  sail  with  a  large  cross 
painted  on  it. 

From  the  time  we  came  on  board  "  L'Egitto,"  the 
most  exciting  topic  of  conversation  was  the  question 
whether  we  should  be  obliged  to  perform  quarantine 
or  not  at  Trieste,  and  what  would  be  the  length 
of  our  imprisonment  in  the  lazaretto  ?  and  although  it 
was  nearly  eleven  when  we  arrived  here  last  night,  I 
could  not  think  of  going  to  bed  till  the  important  ques- 
tion was  settled.  To  our  great  joy,  before  the  anchor 
was  dropped  in  the  harbor  of  Trieste,  a  small  boat 
came  alongside,  and  we  heard  the  delightful  response 
of  "  no,"  to  the  captain's  question  "  is  there  quaran- 
tine ?"  Late  as  it  was,  the  greater  part  of  the  passen- 
gers came  on  shore,  but  we  preferred  to  stay  on  board, 
and  came  off  about  seven  this  morning.  I  told  J.  if 
you  had  been  here  you  would  have  been  off  by  sun- 
rise, but  I  take  everything  as  easily  as  possible. 

Trieste  is  situated,  as  you  know,  at  the  head  of  the 
gulf  of  Trieste,  and  its  capacious  harbor  holds  vessels 
from  all  parts  of  the  world.  The  town  lies  in  a  semi- 
circular form  around  the  gulf,  while  it  is  backed  by  a 


LETTERS.  155 

lofty  range  of  green  mountains,  along  whose  slopes  ap- 
pear many  a  pretty  village  and  charming  country-seat. 
"We  are  at  the  Hotel  Eliseo,  and  while  we  were  waiting 
for  breakfast,  I  commenced  this  letter.  After  break- 
fast we  took  a  carriage  and  drove  through  several 
streets,  which  we  found  wide,  well  paved  and  adorned 
with  handsome  houses  of  white  stone.  Indeed  so  large 
and  fine  looking  are  the  houses,  that  we  were  con- 
stantly wondering  where  the  poor  people  lived. 

In  the  principal  streets  the  shops  were  fine,  and  I 
had  to  stop  many  times  to  admire  the  tempting  goods. 
A  crowd  of  people  was  in  the  streets  in  all  sorts  of  cos- 
tumes, the  Greek  in  his  becoming  fustinella,  the  Italian 
lady  in  her  gay  attire,  and  the  bare-headed  and  bare- 
footed German  and  Swiss  women,  many  of  them  carry- 
ing immense  loads  on  their  heads  and  backs. 

"We  rode  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  mountains  that  en- 
viron the  city,  and  had  a  splendid  view  of  the  far-reach- 
ing Adriatic  in  front,  and  hills  and  mountains  rising 
up  in  the  back-ground,  spotted  with  vineyards  and 
pleasant  fields.  I  cast  many  a  longing  look  across  the 
gulf,  where  I  supposed  fair  Venice  to  lie,  and  longed 
once  more  to  see  that  "  city  of  a  hundred  isles,"  but 
we  have  not  the  time,  as  we  must  press  on  towards  the 
North.  Our  seats  are  already  taken  in  the  diligence 
for  Adelsberg,  and  at  six  we  must  be  off.  Our  luggage 
must  now  go  to  the  custom  house  to  be  examined  and 
sealed  up,  to  escape  undergoing  a  rigid  examination  at 
Vienna,  and  I  have  time  to  add  no  more. 


156  LETTERS. 


LETTER    LXII. 

Diligence. — Grotto  of  Adelsberg. — Laibach. — Railroad. — Beautiful  Coun- 
try.— Arrival  at  Vienna. 

VIENNA,  Aug.  19th. 
MY  DEAR  F. : 

It  is  raining  fast,  and  I  cannot  go  out,  and  having 
just  refreshed  ourselves  with  looking  over  a  package  of 
fifteen  letters  from  our  dear  home,  I  turn  my  thoughts 
towards  you,  and  commence  at  this  early  period  after  our 
arrival  here,  to  give  you  an  account  of  our  journey  hither. 
It  seemed  strange,  after  an  interval  of  thirteen  years,  to 
find  ourselves  once  more  in  a  diligence,  though  much 
smaller  this  one  was  than  those  we  were  formerly  accus- 
tomed to  in  France.  We  soon  left  Trieste  behind  us, 
and  began  to  ascend  the  mountain,  and  for  more  than 
two  hours  we  were  constantly  on  the  rise,  each  turn 
giving  us  a  more  extensive  view  of  the  city  below,  and 
the  sea  beyond. 

Our  diligence  was  small,  carrying  two  persons  in  the 
coupe",  four  in  the  inttrieur,  and  four  in  the  rotund. 
We  were  in  the  interieur,  two  Germans,  a  man  and  a 
woman,  being  our  companions.  Night  came  on,  and  I 
settled  myself  in  my  corner  to  sleep,  and,  with  occasional 
wakings,  slept  quite  nicely  till  little  past  two,  Thursday 
morning,  when  we  arrived  at  Adelsberg.  There  we 
found  the  inn  full,  and  we  were  shown  into  the  coffee- 
room,  to  wait  till  a  man  could  go  out  and  procure  us 
lodgings.  Late  as  it  was,  we  found  three  men  sitting 
round  a  table,  playing  cards,  a  pile  of  money  before 
them,  showing  to  what  extent  they  had  been  gambling. 
They  were  a  hard  looking  set,  I  can  tell  you. 


LETTERS.  157 

At  three  o'clock,  we  were  in  good  soft  German  beds, 
and  at  nine  we  went  back  to  the  hotel,  had  our  break- 
fast in  a  room  where  at  least  a  dozen  men  were  smoking, 
and  then  we  prepared  for  our  visit  to  the  celebrated 
grotto  of  Adelsberg.  A  walk  of  nearly  a  mile  brought 
us  to  a  mountain,  in  the  side  of  which  is  the  opening 
into  the  grotto.  At  the  entrance  we  waited  a  while  for 
the  guides  to  go  in  before  and  light  up  some  of  the 
chambers.  All  due  preparation  being  made,  we  at  last 
commenced  our  subterranean  tour.  I  had  heard  so 
much  of  this  wonderful  grotto,  from  some  of  our  fellow- 
travellers  in  the  East,  that  I  had  fully  made  up  my  mind 
to  be  disappointed,  but  in  this  expectation  I  was  disap- 
pointed myself,  for  it  certainly  proved  to  be  a  most  mag- 
nificent affair.  For  more  than  two  hours  we  wandered 
about  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  and  when  we  ended 
our  walk,  we  were  told  we  had  not  half  explored  the 
cave.  In  fact,  no  one  seems  to  know  how  far  it  extends 
under  the  mountains,  but  it  is  supposed  ten  miles  at 
least.  Parties  have  started  to  explore  it,  taking  provis- 
ions with  them,  and  after  being  there  for  more  than  two 
days,  have  returned  without  finding  the  extremity. 
The  guides  had  arranged  the  lights  to  show  the  differ- 
ent chambers  to  the  best  possible  effect,  and  the  number 
and  variety  of  these  chambers  exceed  all  belief.  At  one 
time  we  seemed  to  be  among  the  aisles  of  an  immense 
Gothic  church ;  at  another,  in  a  dimly  lighted  sculpture 
gallery,  surrounded  by  figures  of  every  form  and  size ; 
now  we  stood  in  front  of  a  huge  pulpit,  with  a  heavy, 
old-fashioned  sounding-board  hanging  over  it ;  and  now 
we  walked  in  a  garden,  every  crystal  seeming  to  be 
shaped  like  some  fruit  or  vegetable.  Here  we  almost 
groped  along  a  dark  passage,  a  foaming  torrent  dashing 


158  LETTERS. 

along  far  beneath  our  feet,  the  darkness,  and  the  roar 
of  the  rushing  water  rendering  the  scene  fearfully 
grand.  This  stream  is  supposed  to  be  the  same  as  the 
Unz,  which  bursts  forth  from  the  mountain  several 
miles  beyond,  pieces  of  wood  thrown  into  the  stream, 
at  its  entrance  into  the  grotto,  being  seen  ten  or  twelve 
hours  afterwards  in  the  Unz. 

Some  of  the  stalactites  that  adorn  these  chambers  are 
immense,  being  as  large  as  many  of  the  pillars  in  many 
churches,  and  it  is  really  wonderful  into  how  many 
shapes  these  stalactites  have  wreathed  themselves.  Now 
you  see  a  figure  called  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  it  requires 
no  stretch  of  the  imagination  to  behold  a  figure  with  a 
crown  on  her  head,  and  holding  an  infant  in  her  arm's  ; 
and  here  you  see  the  chair  of  St.  Peter  at  Rome,  with 
its  pillared  canopy.  There  you  see  a  butcher's  shop, 
with  a  round  of  beef  on  one  side,  and  a  flitch  of  bacon 
overhead,  and  here  a  pillar,  which,  on  being  struck, 
emits  the  spund  of  a  bell.  From  the  ceiling  of  this 
chamber  hangs  a  curtain  of  stone,  and  yet  so  transpa- 
rent that  the  light  shows  plainly  through  it,  and  along 
the  border  depends  something  that  looks  precisely  like 
lace,  so  thin  and  fragile  it  seems,  and  yet  it  would  re- 
quire quite  a  blow  to  break  it.  In  that  room,  you  see 
stalactites  arranged  in  regular  form,  like  the  pipes  of  an 
organ,  and  but  a  little  distance  off,  there  is  quite  a  dif- 
ferent formation  still,  resembling  perfectly  a  waterfall. 

One  large  cavern  is  called  the  ball-room,  and  in  Whit- 
sun  week  a  ball  is  given  here.  A  natural  gallery  at 
one  end,  adorned  with  a  balustrade  of  stalactites,  is  for 
the  music,  while  around  the  hall,  are  niches  and  re- 
cesses, all  formed  by  nature,  remember,  which  are  used 
for  supper  and  dressing  rooms.  This  room  was  bril- 


LETTERS.  159 

liantly  lighted  up  for  our  examination,  and  it  was  like 
a  scene  in  fairy  land,  those  pillars  and  arches  glittering 
like  diamonds,  and  I  tried  to  fancy  how  much  more 
brilliant  it  would  look,  illuminated  for  the  ball,  lights 
shining  from  every  part,  and  bringing  into  view  each 
hidden  nook  and  recess.  And  how  splendidly  must  the 
music  sound,  echoing  and  re-echoing  among  the  arches 
and  pillars,  and  stealing  far  away  into  dim,  obscure 
chambers ! 

Not  the  least  striking  feature  of  this  grotto,  is  the 
variety  of  colors  seen,  one  pillar  being  of  a  delicate 
rose  tint,  while  another  would  resemble  yellow  alabas- 
ter. And  then  the  crystals  sparkling  in  the  pillars,  and 
gleaming  forth  in  the  roof  of  the  caverns,  shining  here 
and  there  like  stars,  rendered  it  all  perfectly  radiant  and 
dazzling.  To  all  this  beauty  there  was  one  drawback, 
and  that  was  the  excessive  dampness  that  reigned  every 
where,  water  constantly  dropping  on  our  heads,  while 
the  ground  beneath  our  feet  was  wet  and  cold.  The 
walk  back  to  the  inn,  in  the  bright  sunlight,  was  very 
pleasant,  along  a  lane  bordered  with  trees  and  gemmed 
with  wild  flowers.  Adelsberg  is  pleasantly  situated 
in  a  sheltered  valley,  high  hills  rising  all  around  it.  The 
houses  are  of  stone,  and  look  clean  and  comfortable. 

We  did  one  stupid  thing  at  Trieste,  for  in  having  our 
luggage  sealed  up  there  for  Vienna,  we  never  thought 
of  the  two  days  which  must  elapse  before  we  should 
reach  this  city,  and  of  the  things  we  might  want  in  that 
time.  "We  dared  not  open  any  of  the  packages,  for  fear 
of  exciting  suspicion  on  our  arrival  at  Vienna,  and  so 
we  got  along  as  well  as  we  could.  The  worst  of  it  was, 
my  writing  desk  was  sealed  up  too,  and  I  could  not 
write  at  all,  except  in  my  note-book,  which  I  always 


160  LETTERS. 

carry  about  me.  Fortunately,  too,  we  had  a  few  books 
out,  so  the  remainder  of  the  day  did  not  pass  so  very 
heavily.  Besides,  as  we  were  to  take  the  diligence  at 
half  past  two  on  Friday  morning,  a  "  nap"  in  the  after- 
noon did  not  come  amiss. 

The  fear  of  not  being  ready  when  the  diligence  should 
come  along,  the  uncertainty  about  our  finding  vacant 
places  in  it,  the  question  constantly  coming  up  whether 
we  could  arrive  here  in  season  to-day  to  receive  our 
long  expected  letters,  all  this  served  to  render  our  sleep 
rather  broken,  so  that  by  one  o'clock,  we  were  up  and 
dressed,  in  readiness  to  depart. 

But  oh !  the  tediousness  of  that  long  hour  and  a  half 
that  intervened.  At  last,  the  cracking  01  the  whip  was 
heard,  and  we  hurried  to  the  door.  But  the  waiter 
would  never  wake  up,  and  the  key  was  not  in  the  lock, 
and  the  conductor  was  thundering  on  the  door !  The 
sleepy  servant  at  length  appeared ;  the  key  was  found 
in  the  wrong  place  ;  two  seats  were  vacant  in  the  intS- 
rieur,  but  the  conductor  grumbled  at  our  luggage,  and 
declared  he  could  not  and  would  not  take  it.  At  last, 
even  this  difficulty  was  settled  ;  each  box  and  bag  were 
stowed  away,  and  off  we  rattled  through  the  streets. 
In  a  few  minutes  I  was  fast  asleep,  and  I  did  not  waken 
till  the  sun,  vigorous  body  that  he  is,  had  been  up  a 
long  time.  Bradshaw's  Guide  gave  but  two  trains 
leaving  Laibach,  one  in  the  morning,  the  other  in  the 
evening,  and  as  it  was  long  past  the  hour  for  the  morn- 
ing train,  we  began  to  feel  pretty  sure  we  could  not  see 
Vienna  to-day,  in  season  to  get  our  letters. 

Fortunately,  Bradshaw  was  wrong,  for  on  reaching 
Laibach,  at  ten  o'clock,  we  found  a  train  would  start  at 
noon,  going  through  in  eighteen  hours.  Not  having 


LETTERS.  161 

eaten  any  thing  since  four  o'clock  the  day  before,  we 
plunged  into  a  breakfast  with  a  hearty  appetite,  having 
first  washed  and  "  prinked"  in  a  room  given  up  for  our 
special  use,  in  the  depot.  And  I  could  not  but  think 
what  a  capital  thing  it  would  be,  if  in  our  immense 
depot  at  home  some  rooms  could  be  fitted  up,  where 
weary  travellers  could  thus  refresh  themselves,  and  get 
a  little  nap,  while  waiting  to  go  on  by  another  train. 

Punctual  to  the  moment,  we  were  off  at  twelve,  a 
man  sounding  a  horn,  the  whistle  answering  the  signal, 
and  then  away  we  went.  What  a  novelty  to  be  on  a 
railroad !  Just  ten  months  to  a  day  since  we  went  down 
from  London  to  Southampton,  and  that  was  the  last 
time  we  were  on  a  railroad.  The  country  was  lovely, 
so  green  and  so  fresh,  so  fertile  and  so  well  cultivated. 
The  road  lay  through  a  valley,  along  a  rapid  river,  high 
mountains  hemming  us  in  on  both  sides.  Green  and 
wooded,  these  mountains  were  to  their  very  summits, 
often  crowned  by  a  picturesque  looking  church,  or 
fortress-like  castle.  Such  pretty  houses,  too,  we  passed, 
belonging  to  the  railroad,  and  occupied  by  men  em- 
ployed on  the  road,  every  house  having  its  little  plat 
of  flowers,  and  often  a  rustic  little  arbor.  And  the 
people  looked  clean  and  healthy,  and  seemed  industri- 
ous and  happy.  Soon  after  leaving  Laibach,  we  met 
with  an  accident,  I  don't  know  what,  for  it  was  raining 
fast,  and  no  one  cared  to  get  out  to  see,  but  I  think  the 
breaking  of  a  wheel,  and  there  we  had  to  wait  three 
long  hours,  till  the  broken  carriage  was  taken  off  the 
track,  and  we  were  once  more  ready  to  move  on. 

The  carriage  we  were  in  was  very  comfortable,  having 
high-backed  seats  to  rest  the  head  against,  and  I  slept 
very  soundly  till  morning.  How  magnificent  was  the 


162  LETTERS. 

scene  when  I  awoke !  Higher  and  higher  rose  the 
mountains,  some  of  them  craggy  and  bare,  and  the  road 
wound  through  ravines,  passing  over  gorges  and  pre- 
cipitous descents,  now  darting  through  a  long  tunnel, 
and  now  spanning  a  fearful  height,  by  a  bridge  of  im- 
mense length  and  strength. 

I  cannot  tell  you  how  much  we  enjoyed  this  ride. 
The  contrast  between  this  country,  so  green,  so  fertile, 
and  those  through  which  we  long  travelled  in  the  East, 
was  startling  in  the  extreme.  Never  in  Erin's  Emerald 
Isle  were  there  fields  clothed  in  a  lovelier  green  than 
those  we  saw  between  Laibach  and  Vienna. 

For  an  hour  or  two,  before  reaching  this  city,  the 
mountains  receded,  and  the  plain  grew  broader  and 
broader,  every  inch  of  the  ground  cultivated  and  rich 
as  a  garden.  In  fact,  for  miles  it  seemed  like  one  vast 
vegetable  garden,  not  a  fence  or  a  hedge  to  be  seen, 
dividing  one  field  from  another. 

Never  was  there  a  quieter  entrance  into  a  large  city 
than  our  entrance  into  Vienna.  In  fact,  so  little  did  I 
see  around  me  that  looked  like  a  city,  I  doubted  for  a 
long  time  whether  we  had  arrived,  and  I  did  not  stir 
from  my  seat  till  every  passenger  had  left  the  carriage 
we  were  in.  A  porter  took  our  luggage  to  the  door  of 
the  depot ;  there  we  found  carriages,  and  jumping  into 
one,  were  soon  on  our  way  to  the  Golden  Lamb,  recom- 
mended to  us  by  our  good  friend  Mr.  R. 

At  the  barrier  we  were  stopped  for  our  pass,  the  pass- 
'port  having  been  taken  from  us  two  or  three  hours  be- 
fore, and  a  pass  given  us  instead,  and  then  the  seals  of 
our  luggage  were  examined,  and  we  were  allowed  to 
pass  on.  And  this  was  the  formidable  entrance  I  had 
so  long  dreaded,  into  the  Austrian  dominions!  The 


LETTERS.  163 

examination  of  luggage  was  not  an  hundredth  part  so 
strict  as  I  thought  it  would  be,  not  beginning  to  com- 
pare with  that  we  underwent  on  our  arrival  in  England. 

It  was  raining  fast,  and  I  could  see  but  little  of  the 
streets  through  which  we  passed,  but  after  an  intermi- 
nable ride,  as  it  seemed  to  me  in  my  hungry  state,  we 
arrived  at  our  hotel,  which  is  situated  in  the  suburb 
called  Leopoldstadt.  A  capital  breakfast,  and  good 
news  from  home,  refreshed  us,  and  as  soon  as  the 
weather  will  admit,  we  shall  be  ready  for  sight-seeing, 
upon  which  I  enter  with  new  zest  after  my  long  rest  at 
Buyukdere  and  Athens. 

I  can't  tell  you  how  strange  it  seems  to  see  chamber- 
maids about,  for  with  the  exception  of  the  two  weeks 
we  were  at  Jerusalem,  the  care  of  our  rooms  has  al- 
ways devolved  upon  men  ever  since  we  left  London. 
How  near  home  seems  to  me,  when  in  three  weeks  from 
the  time  a  letter  was  written,  I  am  reading  it.  But  the 
weather  seems  to  be  clearing  up,  and  so  I  am  off  for  a 
walk. 


LETTER    LXIII. 

Situation  of  Vienna. — Walls.— Glacis. — Suburbs. — St.  Stephen's  Church. 
— Companions  in  Sight-seeing. — Belvedere  Palace.— Lower  Belvedere. — 
Ambras  Collection. — Church  of  the  Capuchins. — Hotel. — Imperial  Pal- 
ace.—State  Carriages. — Schonbrunn. — Dinner  in  the  open  air. — The 
Prater. — Gardens. 

VIENNA,  Aug.  22d. 
MY  DEAR  FRIENDS  : 

According  to  my  usual  custom,  before  entering  upon 
any  account  of  this  city,  I  shall  give  you  a  little  idea  of 


164  LETTERS. 

its  situation.  Though  Vienna  is  said  to  lie  on  the 
Danube,  the  river  is  about  two  miles  from  the  city,  but  a 
branch  of  it  runs  directly  in  front  of  our  windows,  and 
a  dirtier  looking  little  stream  I  would  not  wish  to  see. 
Vienna  derives  its  name  from  the  Wien,  an  insignificant 
river  which  runs  through  a  part  of  the  city,  or  rather 
through  the  suburbs. 

If  you  had  a  good  plan  of  this  city  to  refer  to,  you 
would  give  your  assent  to  some  writer's  remarks,  that 
the  situation  of  Vienna,  and  the  arrangement  of  the 
streets,  might  be  compared  to  a  spider's  web,  the  centre 
of  the  web  being  the  "  place"  around  St.  Stephen's 
Church,  from  which  all  the  streets  radiate,  to  the  walls 
of  the  city,  and  thence,  across  what  is  called  the 
"  Glacis,"  to  the  suburbs. 

The  city  itself,  not  large  in  circumference,  is  sur- 
rounded by  a  high  wall,  so  thick  that  the  top  of  it  is 
arranged  as  a  walk,  and  forms  one  of  the  numerous 
promenades  of  the  inhabitants.  "Within  so  small  a 
compass  is  the  city  collected,  that  one  can  walk  with 
ease  completely  around  it  in  less  than  an  hour.  But 
the  suburbs  are  large,  and  extend  over  far  more  ground 
than  the  city  itself,  from  which  they  are  separated  by  a 
wide,  open  space,  planted  with  trees  and  carpeted  with 
the  richest  grass.  This  is  what  is  called  the  Glacis, 
and  was  originally  a  part  of  the  fortifications.  Like 
the  parks  of  London,  this  spot  may  be  termed  "  the 
lungs"  of  this  city,  for  here  the  inhabitants  come  to 
breathe  the  pure  fresh  air.  The  number  of  inhabitants 
within  the  city  and  the  suburbs  is  estimated  at  four 
hundred  and  eighty  thousand.  And  now  let  me  pro- 
ceed to  other  themes.  I  have  written  to  you  so  fully 
from  the  East,  that  I  shall  merely  glance  at  what  I  see 


LETTERS.  165 

in  this  part  of  Europe,  or  my  "  Budget"  would  swell  to  an 
interminable  length.  And  so  for  sight-seeing  in  Vienna. 

After  it  had  ceased  raining  on  Saturday,  we  went  out 
to  take  a  little  stroll.  Crossing  the  bridge  built  over 
the  arm  of  the  Danube,  and  passing  through  a  massive 
gate,  we  entered  at  once  the  busy  streets  of  the  city, 
paved  with  large  flat  stones,  but  without  any  sidewalks, 
so  that  in  my  eagerness  to  look  into  the  shop  windows, 
I  was  in  constant  danger  of  being  run  over.  Compared 
with  the  cities  of  the  East,  the  streets  of  Vienna  are 
wide ;  compared  with  those  of  more  modern  towns  in 
the  Western  world,  they  are  narrow.  The  houses  are 
of  stone,  from  four  to  six  stories  high,  and  some  of  the 
shops  are  very  elegant,  and  I  may  add,  exceedingly 
tempting. 

Suddenly  emerging  into  an  open  space,  we  stood  be- 
fore a  magnificent  cathedral,  in  the  richest  Gothic  style, 
ornamented  with  towers  and  a  spire  and  a  wilderness  of 
delicate  fretwork,  its  high  peaked  roof  being  covered  with 
colored  tiles,  arranged  in  fanciful  mosaics,  so  as  to  form 
the  Austrian  eagle.  I  needed  not  to  enquire  its  name, 
for  I  was  sure  it  could  be  no  other  than  St.  Stephen's. 

Its  appearance  is  grand  and  imposing  in  the  highest 
degree,  and,  rich  in  historical  associations,  and  a  perfect 
gem  of  architecture,  we  were  exceedingly  interested  in 
it.  We  entered  the  church ;  it  was  the  hour  of  evening 
prayer,  and  a  number  of  people  were  kneeling  here  and 
there,  each  one  repeating  the  prayers  in  a  loud  tone. 
We  silently  paced  up  and  down  the  nave,  and  at  every 
turn  stopped  to  gaze  with  new  zest  on  the  "  long  drawn 
aisle,"  with  its  massive  pillars  and  ornamented  arches, 
and  delicate  tracery.  Through  the  windows  of  richly 
stained  glass,  the  softened  light  fell,  gilding  altars,  and 


166  LETTERS. 

tombs,  and  chapels  and  statues  with  a  matchless  radi- 
ance. How  lovely,  how  exquisite  it  was !  But  even  with 
all  this  effulgence  of  beauty  before  me,  my  mind  often 
wandered  to  a  far  humbler  church,  having  the  same 
name,  in  my  own  distant  home,  and  I  sighed  to  think 
how  far  the  two  St.  Stephen's  were  from  each  other. 

The  first  foundations  of  this  church  were  laid  more 
than  seven  hundred  years  ago,  though  it  was  not  finished 
till  the  fifteenth  century.  Its  length  is  three  hundred 
and  forty-five  feet,  and  the  width,  from  one  arm  of  the 
cross  to  the  other,  two  hundred  and  thirty.  The  spire, 
or  south  tower,  is  four  hundred  and  forty-four  feet  high, 
and  is  a  conspicuous  object  from  every  part  of  Vienna. 
It  is  a  perfect  specimen  of  a  Gothic  spire,  tapering  off 
beautifully,  and  adorned  with  a  profusion  of  arches  and 
buttresses. 

We  have  since  been  to  the  top  of  the  spire,  and  I  may 
as  well  tell  you  about  it  now,  as  to  wait  for  it  to  come 
in  in  its  proper  place.  We  went  up  by  five  hundred 
and  thirty  steps,  and  I  thought  I  should  have  dropped 
down  with  fatigue  before  we  reached  the  top.  Round 
and  round,  and  up  and  up  we  went,  till  my  head  ached 
as  badly  as  my  feet.  We  stopped,  however,  several 
times,  to  see  different  objects  of  interest,  the  great  bell, 
weighing  three  hundred  and  eighty  tons,  made  from 
nearly  two  hundred  pieces  of  cannon,  taken  from  the 
Turks  in  their  last  siege  of  the  city,  and  the  room  for 
the  fire  watch,  stationed  there  day  and  night,  to  watch 
for  fires,  and  to  inform  by  signals  in  which  part  of  the 
city  one  has  broken  out. 

The  view  from  the  top  of  the  spire  was  magnificent. 
The  city,  the  green  band  that  encircles  it,  the  surround- 
ing suburbs,  lay  at  our  feet,  and  beyond,  stretched  the 


LETTERS.  167 

beautiful  country,  green  fields  and  high  hills,  while  the 
waters  of  the  Danube  glistened  here  and  there,  as  the 
river  meandered  through  the  rich  valley.  The  eye,  too, 
can  take  in  Napoleon's  battlefields  of  Loba  and  Wa- 
gram,  Aspern  and  Essling.  It  was  a  toil  to  reach  the 
summit  of  the  spire,  but  I  thought  not  of  the  stairs, 
when  I  was  gazing  at  the  vast  prospect  spread  out  before 
me. 

On  Sunday,  it  rained  pouring  all  day,  and  I  did  not 
leave  the  hotel,  to  my  great  regret,  as  there  is  an  En- 
glish church  here,  and  I  should  have  liked  so  much  to 
have  attended  it. 

One  of  our  letters  from  home  announced  to  us  that 
our  fellow  townsman,  Mr.  P.,  had  sailed  for  Europe. 
J.  thought  he  saw  him  the  morning  we  arrived  here, 
and  on  sending  to  the  Police  office,  we  found  not  only 
that  he  was  in  this  city,  but  the  name  of  the  hotel  where 
he  was  staying.  And  now  he  and  a  young  friend  of  his 
from  Boston  are  our  companions  in  sight-seeing. 

It  was  so  long  since  we  had  seen  any  fine  paintings, 
that  our  steps  were  turned  first,  on  Monday  morning, 
towards  the  Belvedere  Palace,  which  was  built  by  Prince 
Eugene,  and  where  he  resided  during  the  latter  part  of 
his  life.  It  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  park-like  gar- 
den, and  it  was  with  difficulty  I  could  leave  the  lovely 
picture  without,  to  gaze  on  other  beauties  within.  We 
went  through  room  after  room,  lined  with  paintings 
from  the  Italian,  Venitian,  Flemish,  Dutch,  German  and 
other  schools,  and  though  the  collection  is  inferior  to- 
many  galleries  I  saw  in  Italy,  I  found  a  good  many 
gems  of  beauty.  But  I  will  not  dwell  upon  them  more 
at  length,  for  fear  of  wearying  you,  and  of  filling  up, 
this  sheet  too  much. 


168  LETTERS. 

Passing  down  a  part  of  the  garden,  along  a  sheltered 
walk,  shaded  by  lofty  trees,  through  which  we  caught 
glimpses  of  shorn  lawns,  dotted  o'er  with  beds  of  flowers, 
we  came  to  what  is  called  the  Lower  Belvedere,  where 
is  the  Ambras  collection  of  antiquities,  so  named  from 
the  castle  of  Ambras,  in  Tyrol,  where  it  was  originally 
placed.  Let  me  see  what  I  put  down  in  my  note-book, 
that  particularly  interested  me. 

Some  sarcophagi,  covered  with  hieroglyphics,  brought 
from  Egypt,  statues  and  urns,  found  in  different  places ; 
and  a  large  collection  of  ancient  armor,  among  which 
those  that  pleased  me  the  most  were  the  suits  of  Fran- 
cis I.  of  France,  a  full  suit  of  armor  for  man  and  horse, 
bearing  the  imperial  arms,  and  belonging  to  the  Em- 
peror Maximilian ;  a  steel  skirt,  fluted,  and  looking  like 
the  fustinella  of  the  Greeks,  belonging  to  Albert  the  Bear, 
Elector  of  Brandenburg,  and  a  magnificent  suit  orna- 
mented with  gilded  bas-reliefs,  which  was  once  worn  by 
Alexander  Farnese,  Duke  of  Parma.  The  saddle  and 
bridle  were  adorned  with  splendid  turquoises.  Besides 
these,  we  saw,  the  tomahawk  of  Montezuma,  the  horse- 
tail standard  of  the  Grand  Vizier,  Kara  Mustapha,  the 
banner  and  weapons  of  Stephen  Fadinger,  the  leader  of 
the  insurgent  peasantry  in  1626  ;  guns  inlaid  with  ivory 
and  adorned  with  rare  old  carvings ;  a  crossbow,  with 
etchings  in  ivory  on  the  stock,  done  by  Albert  Durer, 
and  bearing  his  monogram  beneath ;  a  collection  of 
curious  old  portraits  and  pictures ;  a  stag's  horns,  en- 
closed in  the  trunk  of  a  tree ;  specimens  of  rich  carv- 
ings in  wood  and  ivory ;  tables  of  inlaid  woods,  highly 
polished ;  miniature  cabinets,  adorned  with  pearls  and 
precious  stones  ;  ancient  musical  instruments,  many  of 
them  now  quite  out  of  date,  in  fact,  unknown  in  modern 


LETTERS.  169 

times  ;  a  set  of  the  most  charming  little  toys,  made  for 
the  children  of  Francis  I.  of  France ;  the  "  dearest 
little"  cradle  of  wood,  inlaid  with  ivory,  used  by  the 
children  of  Prince  Ferdinand ;  and  dozens  of  other  cu- 
riosities, of  which  I  could  not  stop  now  even  to  give  the 
names. 

Next  we  turned  our  steps  to  the  Church  of  the  Cap- 
uchins, in  the  vaults  of  which  are  seventy  coffins,  con- 
taining different  members  of  the  imperial  family.  Some 
of  these  coffins  are  of  bronze,  and  the  rest  are  of  lead, 
except  that  of  Joseph  I.,  which  is  of  silver.  A  few  are 
elaborately  carved,  while  the  remainder  bear  simply  a 
cross  and  the  name  of  the  deceased.  Three  particularly 
interested  me ;  those  of  Maria  Theresa  and  her  husband, 
an  immense  sarcophagus  of  lead,  adorned  with  statues 
as  large  as  life,  and  bas-reliefs  representing  different 
cities  in  their  dominions  ;  and  the  plain  coffin  of  Maria 
Louisa  and  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt,  wife  and  son  of 
Napoleon  Bonaparte.  All  unused  as  I  am  to  weeping 
over  the  woes  of  those  unknown  to  me  except  by  fame,  I 
could  not  help  my  eyes  filling  with  tears,  as  I  stood  by 
the  coffin  of  the  unfortunate  Duke,  and  thought  over  the 
melancholy  events  of  his  short  life.  Born  to  a  throne,  he 
died  a  prisoner  in  deed,  though  not  in  name,  and  now 
he  sleeps  in  this  cold,  damp  vault,  beside  his  mother  and 
his  mother's  kindred,  far  away  from  the  ashes  of  him 
whose  proud  heart  once  doted  upon  him  with  such  o'er- 
powering  love. 

To  this  cold,  dark  tomb  came  Maria  Theresa,  every 
Friday,  for  thirteen  years,  to  weep  and  pray  beside  the 
coffin  of  her  husband,  and  here,  at  last,  she  was  borne, 
and  laid  by  his  side,  one  coffin  sheltering  both.  Do  you 
remember  the  childish  enthusiasm  with  which,  years 


170  LETTERS. 

ago,  I  used  to  read  every  thing  I  could  find  about  this 
celebrated  Empress  ?  Imagine,  then,  how  this  enthusi- 
asm has  been  renewed,  when  all  around  me  I  see  por- 
traits and  relics  of  her,  and,  at  last,  have  stood  beside 
her  very  coffin. 

Once  more  the  heavens  opened,  and  the  rain  poured 
down,  and  we  were  glad  to  give  up  sight-seeing,  and  to 
come  home  for  our  dinner.  This  hotel  here  is  con- 
ducted on  quite  a  different  plan  from  those  we  have 
known  in  the  East,  and  I  am  told  all  the  hotels  through- 
out Germany  are  on  the  same  plan.  There  is  no  "  table 
d'hote,"  but  every  body  orders  from  a  "  carte"  what  he 
wishes  to  eat,  and  is  charged  accordingly.  Thus,  if  a 
person's  wishes  are  moderate,  he  may  live  very  cheaply 
in  this  country.  We  have  a  double  bedded  room,  for 
which  we  pay  two  florins  a  day ;  our  breakfasts  cost 
about  two  florins,  and  our  dinners  three.  A  florin  is 
about  forty-four  cents  our  money,  and  thus  it  costs  little 
more  than  three  dollars  a  day  for  two  persons,  which  is 
not  dear  for  a  first  class  hotel  in  a  large  city  like  Vienna. 
Candles  are  extra ;  they  cost  us  at  the  rate  of  seven  or 
eight  cents  an  evening ;  but  even  with  this  addition,  all 
our  hotel  expenses  may  be  brought  within  three  dollars 
and  a  quarter  a  day. 

I  dwell  upon  these  little  particulars,  because  one 
hears  so  much  about  the  cheapness  of  living  in  Austria, 
Germany,  &c.,  though  at  the  same  time  I  ought  to  say, 
by  having  plainer  and  less  expensive  dishes  than  we  do, 
one  could  live  at  a  much  cheaper  rate. 

This  morning,  to  our  great  joy,  the  sun  shone  out 
brightly,  and  we  once  more  set  off  to  view  the  lions  of 
Vienna,  and  as  it  was  necessary  to  have  a  clear  sky  for 
the  purpose,  we  went  up  into  the  spire  of  St.  Stephen's, 


LETTERS.  171 

an  account  of  which  I  have  already  given  you.  We 
next  went  to  the  Imperial  Palace,  but  we  could  not  gain 
admission ;  we  tried  the  Treasury,  where  the  crown 
jewels  are  kept,  and  met  with  equal  success,  so  we 
turned  our  steps  to  the  imperial  carriage  house,  where 
we  saw  carriages  of  almost  every  shape  and  size,  from 
the  small  buggy  in  which  the  Emperor  himself  some- 
times drives,  to  the  magnificent  state  coach,  resplendent 
with  gilding  and  carving  and  crimson  velvet.  There 
are  about  a  dozen  of  these  state  coaches,  and  the  gild- 
ing alone  on  them  cost  more  than  a  half  million  dollars. 
What  do  you  think  of  that  ?  Some  of  the  sleighs  were 
very  beautiful ;  one  of  them,  shaped  like  a  Roman  car, 
and  covered  with  gilding,  Maria  Theresa  herself  used  to 
drive  out  in.  The  imperial  establishment,  in  all,  con- 
sists of  six  hundred  carriages,  quite  sufficient,  one 
would  think,  to  satisfy  the  desires  of  one  family. 

In  Vienna,  it  is  useless  to  attempt  to  see  any  thing 
between  twelve  and  two ;  every  thing  is  shut  up,  for  every 
body  goes  home  to  dinner.  At  first  it  seemed  very 
strange  to  me  to  see  so  many  of  the  shops  closed,  and 
for  us,  who  do  not  dine  till  five  or  six,  it  is  a  very  in- 
convenient arrangement,  but  we  are  obliged  to  submit 
to  it.  Finding  we  could  see  nothing  more  for  two  hours, 
and  the  weather  being  so  very  pleasant,  we  took  a  car- 
riage and  went  out  to  Schonbrunn,  one  of  the  summer 
palaces  of  the  Emperor,  two  or  three  miles  distant  from 
the  city. 

The  palace  stands  within  an  immense  park,  diversi- 
fied with  winding  walks,  beautiful  lawns,  clumps  of 
trees,  and  plats  of  flowers.  We  were  conducted  over 
the  palace  by  a  veteran,  who  seemed  to  have  the  whole 
history  of  Austria  at  "  his  fingers'  ends,"  and  we  could 


172  LETT  BBS. 

understand  him  quite  easily,  for  it  seemed  to  me  his 
German  was  like  broken  English,  when  spoken  by  one 
having  a  hot  potato  in  his  mouth.  As  usual,  I  shall 
only  tell  you  about  the  rooms  that  particularly  interested 
me.  In  this  palace,  Napoleon  took  up  his  abode  in 
1805  and  1809,  and  in  a  large  hall,  he  was  standing 
talking  with  his  Marshals,  when  a  German  student  fired 
at  him  from  without,  and  we  saw  the  hole  over  the  win- 
dow, made  by  the  ball.  Here  were  many  things  which 
spoke  to  us  of  Maria  Theresa ;  the  room  where  she  used 
to  dine,  waited  upon  by  her  ministers,  the  dishes  being 
handed  up  through  openings  in  the  floor ;  a  screen  and  a 
stool  worked  by  her  own  hands,  and  the  furniture  of  one 
entire  room,  consisting  of  two  sofas,  two  divans,  (the 
four  having  ten  pillows,)  and  four  stools  covered  with 
silk,  all  from  one  dress  of  hers.  When  this  was  told 
me,  I  marvelled  greatly  at  it,  but  when  I  saw  in  another 
room  a  portrait  of  the  Empress,  in  a  dress  rising,  from 
the  stiffness  of  her  hoops,  almost  to  her  ears,  and  swell- 
ing out  to  a  prodigious  rotundity,  lengthened  out,  more- 
over, by  an  immense  train,  I  no  longer  wondered  that 
the  silk  of  one  dress  could  cover  so  many  pieces  of  fur- 
niture. 

The  walls  of  another  room  were  covered  with  paint- 
ings representing  the  marriage  of  Joseph  II.  to  the 
Duchess  of  Parma.  All  the  figures  portrayed  there 
being  portraits,  dressed  in  the  costumes  of  the  day,  we 
found  them  exceedingly  interesting.  One  of  the  pic- 
tures represented  the  entrance  of  the  bridal  party  into 
Vienna,  in  which  there  were  eighty  coaches,  each  drawn 
by  six  horses.  What  a  display  that  must  have  been ! 
Another  picture  represented  the  family  of  Maria  There- 


LETTERS.  173 

sa,  among  whom  were  grouped  thirteen  Kings  and 
Queens,  all  descended  from  her.  A  royal  family,  truly ! 

Nor  was  the  unfortunate  Maria  Antoinette  forgotten, 
for  here  we  saw  a  series  of  beautiful  paintings  done  by 
her,  bearing  her  initials  in  one  corner.  Nor  were  these 
all  that  interested  us.  Here  we  saw  the  chamber  occu- 
pied by  Napoleon,  and  the  bed  on  which  he  slept, 
where  afterwards  in  1832,  (I  think,)  his  son  died.  A 
writing  desk  stood  in  one  corner  of  the  room,  and  there 
Napoleon  often  sat  and  wrote,  and  there  the  Duke  of 
Reichstadt  wrote  his  last  letter  to  his  mother.  How 
vividly  these  things  brought  before  us  the  departed 
great !  I  really  don't  know  when  I  have  been  more 
interested  than  in  visiting  this  palace.  The  mighty 
years  that  have  rolled  on  since  these  royal  personages 
passed  away  were  as  nothing,  for  I  seemed  to  stand  in 
their  immediate  presence,  and  to  see  them  face  to  face. 

We  spent  an  hour  or  two  rambling  through  the  gar- 
den, now  pausing  to  see  the  myriads  of  gold  fish  in  a 
pretty  pond,  and  now  stopping  to  notice  a  beautiful  av- 
enue of  stately  trees,  or  to  admire  the  velvet  smooth- 
ness of  the  lawn.  At  the  upper  end  of  the  garden  is  a 
little  temple  called  the  "  Gloriette ;"  and  from  the 
roof  of  it  is  one  of  the  most  lovely  views  the  eye  ever 
beheld.  Around  us  lay  the  beautiful  park,  trees  and 
flowers  and  green  lawns,  all  blended  so  perfectly,  and 
away  stretched  the  rich  country,  till  it  was  bounded  by 
the  distant  hills  on  the  one  hand,  and  Vienna,  with  its 
countless  roofs  and  beautiful  spires,  on  the  other. 

In  another  part  of  the  garden  are  the  wild  animals, 
monkeys,  birds,  &c.,  and  although  we  have  seen  larger 
collections  in  Paris  and  London,  we  stopped  a  while  to 
look  at  these. 


174  LETTERS. 

We  dined  at  Schonbrunn,  in  a  large  garden  attached 
to  a  caft)  there,  and  while  we  sat  under  the  trees,  and 
ate  an  excellent  dinner,  a  band  was  discoursing  most 
eloquent  music.  How  much  I  enjoyed  this  life  in  the 
open  air,  and  for  the  thousandth  time  I  said  "  why  can- 
not our  people  at  home  have  pleasures  like  these  ?" 

After  we  came  back  to  Vienna,  we  drove  along  the 
Prater,  one  of  the  fashionable  places  of  resort  for  the 
Viennese.  A  broad  road,  bordered  with  trees,  extends 
for  miles  beyond  the  city,  and  on  either  hand  are  green 
meadows,  dotted  beautifully  with  clumps  of  trees,  where 
on  Sundays  and  holidays,  the  people  come  in  crowds 
to  amuse  themselves.  Farther  on  is  a  deer  park,  and 
here  we  saw  a  number  of  those  beautiful  animals, 
browsing  and  gambolling  about. 

We  ended  the  day  by  a  visit  to  one  of  the  gardens 
near  the  Palace,  where  we  saw  hundreds  of  well 
dressed  people  sitting  on  benches  and  around  little 
tables,  the  ladies  having  their  work,  and  sewing  and 
chatting,  eating  end  drinking,  they  seemed  the  very 
picture  of  sensible  enjoyment,  while  groups  of  children 
were  playing  games  under  the  trees.  In  different  parts 
of  the  garden  bands  of  music  were  stationed,  and  sit- 
ting down  before  a  little  table,  I  ate  an  ice  while  J. 
drank  a  cup  of  tea,  the  strains  of  music  falling  delight- 
fully on  our  ears. 

But  this  is  quite  enough  for  one  letter,  so  I  will  say 
"  good  night"  to  you. 


L  E  T  T  E  E  S .  175 


LETTER    LXIV. 

Copy  of  Last  Supper. — Monument  of  Archduchess  Christina. — Imperial 
Library. — Cabinet  of  Minerals. — Arsenal. — Dance. — Imperial  Printing 
Office. — Polytechnic  Institution. — Public  Garden. 

VIENNA,  Aug.  25th. 
MY  DEAREST  P. : 

All  day  out  seeing  "  sights  and  wonders,"  and  every 
evening  and  early  every  morning,  jotting  down  what  I 
see,  I  have  not  a  particle  of  leisure.  And  yet,  busy 
as  I  am,  I  enjoy  every  moment.  But  much  as  I  delight 
in  the  pleasures  of  sight  seeing,  I  assure  you  I  shall 
not  be  sorry  when,  our  journey  over,  I  find  myself 
on  the  way  to  my  own  loved  land  again.  Strange  as  it 
may  seem  to  you,  I  did  not  think  half  so  much  of  my 
home,  when  far  away  in  the  East,  as  I  do  now,  when  I 
am  comparatively  so  near  it.  Should  I  live  to  see  all  I 
love  on  earth  once  more,  I  defy  the  whole  world  to  pro- 
duce a  happier  person  than  I  shall  be.  But  I  must  not 
run  on  in  this  way,  or  I  shall  quite  forget  where  I  am, 
so  I  will  tell  you  what  we  have  been  seeing  the  last 
three  days. 

In  one  of  the  churches  in  this  city,  is  a  beautiful 
picture  in  mosaic,  done  by  the  order  of  Napoleon,  a 
copy  of  the  celebrated  "  Last  Supper"  of  Leonardo  da 
Vinci.  It  is  a  master  piece  of  art,  worthy  of  the  great 
original. 

In  another  church  is  the  monument  of  the  Arch- 
duchess Christina  of  Saxe  Teschen,  by  Canova,  per- 
fect in  design  and  in  execution.  It  consists  of  a  pyra- 
mid of  gray  marble,  about  thirty  feet  high,  placed 
against  the  wall  of  the  church.  An  opening  like  a 


176  LETTERS. 

door,  in  the  centre  of  the  pyramid,  represents  the  en- 
trance into  the  vault,  and  before  it  stand  two  groups, 
in  attitudes  most  striking  and  impressive.  The  first 
in  advance,  bears  the  urn  containing  the  ashes  of  the 
deceased,  and  by  her  side  walk  two  young  girls,  with 
torches  in  their  hands.  Ascending  the  steps  of  the  pyr- 
amid appears  the  figure  of  Benevolence,  supporting  on 
her  arm  a  man  bent  almost  double  with  age  and  infirm- 
ities, his  tattered  garments  hanging  in  disorder  about  his 
withered  limbs.  Beside  him  stands  a  little  child  in  touch- 
ing attitude,  his  hands  clasped  before  him,  his  head 
drooping,  and  his  long  robe  flowing  loosely  around  his 
feet.  Never  was  there  a  lovelier  contrast  than  that  be- 
tween this  tottering  ol(fc  man  and  the  fair  gentle  child. 
It  is  old  age  and  innocent  childhood  in  perfection.  On 
the  other  side  of  the  entrance  into  the  vault  reposes  a 
lion,  and  near  him  sits  a  figure  representing  despond- 
ing Genius,  the  wings  drooping,  the  face  full  of  sadness 
and  grief.  All  these  figures  are  as  large  as  life,  and 
admirably  well  done  ;  in  short  the  monument  may  be 
considered  as  one  of  Canova's  master  pieces,  and  again 
and  again  I  returned  to  look  at  it. 

In  a  chapel  in  the  rear  of  this  church,  are  the  hearts, 
contained  in  silver  urns,  of  the  different  members  of 
the  Imperial  family  of  Austria,  while  their  bodies 
repose  in  the  vaults  of  the  Capuchin  church. 

Of  course  we  made  another  effort  to  visit  the  Palace, 
and  to  see  the  crown  jewels,  but  still  without  success,  so 
we  turned  our  steps  towards  the  Imperial  library, 
which  contains  four  hundred  thousand  volumes  and 
sixteen  thousand  manuscripts.  Among  these  last,  we 
found  many  interesting  relics  of  olden  times,  extending 
from  the  fourth  to  the  sixteenth  century,  among  which 


LETTERS.  177 

were  the  prayer  book  in  gold  letters,  of  Charlemagne  ; 
a  Greek  testament  of  the  thirteenth  century,  collated  by 
Erasmus,  Tasso's  "  Jerusalem  delivered,"  in  his  own 
hand-writing ;  a  roll  of  Mexican  hieroglyphics,  pre- 
sented to  Charles  V.  by  Cortez,  and  a  number  of  other 
things  interesting  to  look  at,  but  perhaps  a  great  deal 
of  the  interest  would  be  lost  in  narration,  so  I  will  not 
trouble  you  any  further  on  this  subject. 

Let  me  see,  where  did  we  go  next  ?  Oh,  to  the  cabi- 
net of  minerals,  and  here  I  can  assure  you  I  was 
deeply  interested,  though  my  own  little  collection  at 
home  suffered  in  comparison  with  this  extensive  one. 
Here  marbles,  crystals,  quartz,  precious  stones,  petri- 
factions, &c.,  shone  in  all  their  wealth  of  beauty  and  of 
richness,  and  I  sighed  more  than  once  to  think  my  lim- 
ited means  could  not  procure  some  similar  specimens. 
Here  too,  we  saw  a  large  collection  of  meteoric  stones, 
which  have  fallen  from  the  heavens  in  different  parts  of 
the  globe.  One  immense  piece,  weighing  seventy-one 
pounds  fell  in  1751  near  Agram.  This  is  no  hoax,  for 
it  was  actually  seen  to  fall  by  some  peasants.  A  bou- 
quet of  flowers,  composed  of  precious  stones,  belong- 
ing to  Maria  Theresa,  attracted  a  good  deal  of  atten- 
tion, both  from  its  richness,  and  because  it  belonged  to 
her. 

A  long  walk  brought  us  to  the  Imperial  arsenal,  and 
here  we  saw  a  large  collection  of  ancient  armor,  and 
guns  and  pistols  to  the  amount  of  three  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand,  arranged  in  fantastic  forms  ;  sometimes 
representing  the  arms  of  Austria,  at  others,  different 
parts  of  fortifications,  <fec.  The  objects  of  interest  to 
us  were  an  iron  chain  of  eight  thousand  links,  thrown 
across  the  Danube  near  Buda,  by  the  Turks  in  1529,  to 
12 


178  LETTERS. 

hinder  the  navigation  of  the  river  ;  a  coat  of  elk  skin, 
worn  by  Gustavus  Adolphus  at  the  battle  of  Lutzen, 
having  a  small  hole  in  the  back,  made  by  the  bullet 
which  caused  his  death  ;  the  balloon  used  by  Marshal 
Jourdan  to  reconnoitre  the  Austrian  army ;  a  large 
number  of  standards  taken  from  the  French,  the  Ital- 
ians and  the  Turks,  among  which  was  the  green  ban- 
ner of  the  Prophet,  taken  by  John  Sobieski  in  1683, 
and  a  variety  of  orders  worn  by  emperors  and  generals 
and  other  military  heroes. 

All  these  things  being  duly  seen  and  registered  in 
my  note  book,  I  was  quite  ready  for  one,  to  give  up 
sight  seeing  for  the  remainder  of  that  day.  In  the 
evening,  we  went  to  a  cafe*  in  the  suburbs,  much  fre- 
quented by  the  mechanics  and  trades-people,  milliners 
and  dress-makers  of  Vienna,  and  here  in  a  large  hall, 
plentifully  adorned  with  supper  tables,  dozens  of  coup- 
les "  tripped  the  light  fantastic  toe,"  an  orchestra  at 
the  other  end  of  the  hall  giving  excellent  music.  Most 
of  the  dresses  were  in  good  taste,  and  some  of  the  dan- 
cers acquitted  themselves  very  well.  All  fortified  them- 
selves first  by  a  supper,  more  or  less  light,  and  between 
the  intervals  of  the  dances,  beer,  good,  wholesome  Ger- 
man beer,  was  drunk  in  abundance,  and  cigars  plentifully 
indulged  in  by  the  male  portion  of  the  dancers.  I  was 
much  pleased  with  a  group  that  sat  around  a  table  near 
•us,  consisting  of  the  father  and  mother  and  three  young 
•  daughters.  I  at  first  looked  on  with  astonishment  at 
the  supper  they  were  eating,  and  I  doubted  whether 
much  agility  could  be  displayed  in  the  dancing  line, 
after  such  feats  in  eating.  But  soon,  first  one  and  then 
another  were  whirling  round  in  the  giddy  waltz,  and  I 
did  not  see  but  their  feet  moved  as  nimbly  as  though 


LETTERS.  179 

their  stomachs  had  not  been  well  supplied  with  substan- 
tial food.  When  a  partner  came  to  solicit  the  honor  of 
the  hand  of  one  of  the  young  ladies,  he  first  bowed  to 
the  father  and  mother,  and  then  to  the  maiden,  and 
when  he  led  her  back  to  her  seat  he  kissed  her  hand. 

During  the  pauses  in  the  dances,  the  waiters  darted 
back  and  forth,  with  mugs  of  foaming  beer,  and  plates 
of  cold  ham  and  chicken,  and  other  good  things,  and 
after  a  few  moments  devoted  to  eating  and  drinking, 
the  music  again  struck  up,  and  away  flew  the  flounces, 
as  round  and  round  went  the  gay  couples.  Altogether 
it  was  a  pleasant  scene  of  good  homely  enjoyment,  and 
as  long  as  they  liked  it,  why  should  we  find  fault  with 
them? 

Yesterday  and  to-day  it  rained  again ;  in  fact  it  has 
rained  every  day  but  one  since  our  arrival  at  Vienna. 
I  regret  this  the  more  because  the  beauty  of  Vienna 
is  its  environs,  which  abound  in  pretty  gardens  and 
parks,  not  seen  to  good  advantage  in  a  heavy  rain,  to 
say  nothing  of  their  being  quite  deserted  by  the  crowds 
who  throng  them  in  pleasant  weather. 

We  visited  with  much  pleasure  the  Imperial  printing 
office,  an  immense  establishment,  having  in  constant 
employ  eight  hundred  men,  and  keeping  fourteen  steam 
engines  in  operation.  Here  are  types  for  two  hundred 
and  six  different  languages,  and  besides  the  vast  amount 
of  printing  done  here,  photography  and  lithography  are 
carried  on  in  all  their  branches.  Dr.  Auer,  the  director 
of  this  establishment,  has  lately  invented  a  "  natural 
self-printing  process,"  by  which  flowers,  leaves,  mosses, 
patterns  for  embroideries,  &c.,  can  be  engraved  very 
easily  and  very  beautifully.  Unfortunately  we  were 
there  at  the  hour  the  workmen  were  dismissed  for  their 


180  LETTERS. 

dinner,  and  therefore  could  not  see  the  method  of  tak- 
ing these  impressions,  but  it  was  explained  to  us  in  a 
very  able  and  scientific  manner. 

We  went  to  the  polytechnic  institution,  another  large 
establishment  under  royal  patronage.  Here,  besides  a 
vast  number  of  models  of  different  machines,  bridges, 
engines,  steamboats,  &c.,  we  saw  specimens  of  all  the 
different  manufactures  of  the  country,  for  the  last  three 
hundred  years.  This  was  exceedingly  interesting  to 
us,  as  not  only  giving  us  an  insight  into  all  the  manu- 
factures, but  also  enabling  us  to  see  collected  together, 
some  of  the  most  beautiful  productions  of  art,  such  as 
magnificent  specimens  of  porcelain  and  glass,  rich 
carvings  in  wood  and  ivory,  and  a  thousand  other  things 
that  I  have  not  time  to  enumerate.  Among  the  arti- 
cles, curious  for  their  minute  size,  I  cannot  forbear 
mentioning  a  chess-board,  about  one  inch  square,  of 
pearl  and  ebony,  the  set  of  men  for  which  was  con- 
tained in  a  cherry  stone  ;  and  yet  each  piece,  minute 
as  it  was,  was  perfectly  carved. 

The  clouds  having  dispersed  toward  the  close  of  the 
day,  we  took  a  walk  yesterday  after  dinner,  around  the 
ramparts,  ending  our  walk  in  the  public  garden,  in 
which  is  the  temple  of  Theseus,  built  after  the  model 
of  that  in  Athens.  Here  I  sat  down  on  a  seat  between 
two  ladies,  diligently  engaged  in  knitting,  and  as  I 
looked  on  with  interest  to  watch  the  manner  in  which 
they  throw  the  thread  over  with  the  fore  -finger  of  the 
left  hand,  instead  of  the  right  as  with  us,  one  of  them 
accosted  me  very  politely,  though  in  broken  English. 
From  talking  of  the  difference  between  English  and 
German  knitting,  our  conversation  glided  into  other 
subjects,  till  at  last  I  mentioned  how  much  pleased  I 


LETTEBS.  181 

was  with  the  beautiful  gardens  and  parks  about  Vien- 
na, and  to  find  too  they  were  so  much  appreciated  by 
the  inhabitants  as  to  be  frequented  by  them  in  such 
numbers.  She  told  me  in  fine  weather  she  came  to  the 
gardens  every  afternoon  at  three  o'clock,  and  staid  till 
seven  at  least,  always  taking  knitting  or  sewing  with 
her.  When  I  told  her  my  countrywomen  did  not 
indulge  in  out  of  doors  life,  she  shrugged  her  should- 
ers and  said  she  would  not  like  to  live  in  such  a  coun- 
try. I  told  her  I  hoped  some  time  they  would  have 
more  correct  ideas  on  such  subjects,  and  that  I  might 
live  to  see  the  day  when  they  would,  in  respect  to  exer- 
cise and  being  in  the  open  air,  imitate  the  customs  of 
the  old  country. 

The  streets  of  Vienna  are  brilliantly  lit  with  gas, 
though  a  great  many  of  the  shops  are  closed  in  the 
evenings,  the  merchants  and  trades-men  being  in  the 
gardens.  Towards  evening  they  are  filled  with  people 
in  all  sorts  of  costumes,  the  white  fustinella  of  the 
Greek,  mingling  with  the  short  gowns  and  tight  jackets 
of  the  peasant  women.  One  particular  feature  of  Vi- 
enna is  that  the  signs  of  the  shops  in  addition  to  the 
names  of  the  occupants,  are  painted  to  give  you  an 
idea  of  the  contents  within.  And  the  paintings  are 
well  done  too,  not  daubs,  as  sometimes  seen  in  our 
streets,  but  remarkably  well  executed. 

To-morrow  we  go  into  Hungary  for  a  little  excursion, 
and  after  that  we  shall  be  ready  to  proceed  Westward 
and  Northward. 


182  LETTERS. 


LETTER    LXV. 

Excursion  into  Hungary. — The  Danube. — Marchfield. — Presburg. — Cali- 
fornia of  Hungary. — Islands. — Komorn. — Magyars. — Gran. — Vissa- 
grad. — Pesth. — Buda. 

VIENNA,  Aug.  28th. 
Mr  DEAE  F. : 

This  is  our  last  day  in  Vienna,  for  although  we  have 
by  no  means  exhausted  its  sights,  we  have  no  more 
time  to  devote  to  them.  As  I  said  before,  the  greater 
part  of  the  environs,  that  I  should  have  taken  so 
much  pleasure  in  visiting,  have  been  shut  out  from 
us  by  the  weather,  and  although  in  the  city  there  is  a 
large  number  of  picture  galleries  and  museums,  we 
have  not  cared  to  tire  ourselves  out  in  racing  from  one 
to  the  other.  Selecting  the  best,  we  have  devoted  our 
time  and  attention  to  those,  content  to  leave  the  others 
un  visited. 

And  now  I  will  give  you  a  brief  account  of  our  ex- 
cursion into  Hungary.  We  left  here  Saturday  morn- 
ing, at  six  o'clock,  taking  a  small  steamboat  on  the 
branch  of  the  Danube  which  runs  in  front  of  our  ho- 
tel, and  going  in  that  two  or  three  miles,  till  we  came 
into  the  Danube  itself,  where  we  took  a  large  steamer. 
The  river  ran  with  a  strong  current,  so  that  we  were 
enabled  to  go  down  very  rapidly.  At  first  the  banks 
were  low  and  flat,  and  covered  with  trees,  but  after  a 
while  the  country  had  more  variety  ;  along  the  river 
were  well  cultivated  fields  and  thriving  towns  and  vil- 
lages, while  lofty  hills  reared  themselves  in  the  back- 
ground. 

On  the  left  bank,  between  Vienna  and  the  mouth  of 


LETTERS.  183 

the  river  March,  there  is  an  immense  plain  called 
Marchfield,  and  here  Rudolph  of  Hapsburg  gained  that 
victory  over  the  king  of  Bohemia  which  laid  the  foun- 
dation of  the  present  Imperial  house  of  Austria.  Here 
too,  in  later  days,  were  fought  other  battles  between 
the  Austrians  and  the  French,  known  to  us  as  those  of 
Aspern,  Esling  and  Wagram.  Among  the  multitudes 
of  wooded  islands  through  which  we  threaded  our  way, 
we  could  not  make  out  which  was  Lobau,  the  scene  of 
another  of  Napoleon's  victories. 

Prom  the  river,  we  saw  at  a  little  distance  the  birth- 
place of  Hayden,  a  town  called  Haintz,  I  think,  though 
I  can't  be  sure,  and  at  present  I  have  no  book  of  refer- 
ence near  me  to  decide  the  question. 

The  March,  running  into  the  Danube,  forms  the 
dividing  line  between  Austria  and  Hungary,  and  on  a 
precipitous  rock,  washed  by  the  two  rivers,  stand  the 
ruins  of  a  lonely  tower.  Here,  it  is  said,  came,  years 
gone  by,  a  nun  accompanied  by  her  lover,  who  had 
snatched  her  away  from  the  arms  of  the  church.  But 
even  to  this  stronghold  they  were  followed,  and  finding 
escape  from  their  vindictive  pursuers  impossible,  they 
twined  their  arms  around  each  other,  and  threw  them- 
selves into  the  roaring  Danube  beneath,  thus  preferring 
certain  death  to  separation. 

Three  hours  after  leaving  Vienna  we  arrived  at  Pres- 
burg,  formerly  the  capital  of  Hungary.  It  has  about 
forty  thousand  inhabitants,  but  it  presents  rather  an 
ordinary  appearance  from  the  river.  Still,  notwith- 
standing its  old  and  dilapidated  looks,  it  is  rich  in  his- 
torical associations,  for  here  occurred  that  interesting 
episode  in  the  life  of  Maria  Theresa,  which  in  my  ear- 
liest girlhood,  had  for  me  the  charm  of  romance. 


184  LETTERS. 

In  1741,  when  she  was  menaced  by  enemies  on  every 
side,  and  deserted  by  all  her  allies,  Great  Britain  alone 
excepted,  she  came  to  Presburg,  and  calling  together 
her  Hungarian  nobles,  threw  herself  upon  them  for 
aid.  Wearing  on  her  noble  head  the  crown  of  St. 
Stephen,  and  carrying  his  sword,  both  sacred  objects  in 
the  eyes  of  the  Hungarians,  and  clothed  in  the  deepest 
mourning,  she  told  them  the  sad  story  of  her  present 
situation,  ending  her  tale  by  boldly  demanding  their 
assistance.  Who  could  resist  an  appeal  like  that,  from 
a  young  and  beautiful  woman,  when  that  woman  too 
was  their  sovereign  ?  The  blood  of  the  Magyars  was 
fired  to  noble  deeds  ;  with  one  accord  every  sword  was 
drawn,  and  every  voice  was  heard  as  the  cry  of  one 
man  "  Let  us  die  for  our  king,  Maria  Theresa,"  for  wo- 
man though  she  was,  they  called  her  king  rather  than 
queen. 

In  the  old  cathedral  in  Presburg,  the  kings  of  Hun- 
gary were  formerly  crowned,  and  every  king,  -immedi- 
ately after  his  coronation,  went  to  a  mound  at  a  little 
distance  from  the  town,  and  from  the  summit  of  it, 
made  in  the  air  the  sign  of  the  cross  with  the  sword  of 
St.  Stephen,  (not  St.  Stephen  the  martyr,  but  the  first 
king  of  Hungary)  waving  it  towards  each  point  of  the 
compass,  as  a  proof  of  his  determination  to  protect  his 
dominions  on  every  side. 

For  some  time  after  leaving  Presburg,  the  river  was 
very  wide,  and  the  banks  low,  and  covered  with  trees, 
and  in  many  places  walled  up  to  prevent  the  ill  effects 
from  the  inundations,  which  occur  every  Spring  after  the 
ice  has  broken  up.  We  repeatedly  saw  men  and  wo- 
men digging  along  the  banks,  and  on  inquiry  were  told 
.they  were  digging  for  gold,  this  part  of  the  country 


LETTERS.  185 

being  called  the  California  of  Hungary,  though  gold  is 
by  no  means  so  abundant  here  as  there,  a  laborer  here 
finding,  one  day  with  another,  only  about  two  dollars  a 
day.  The  number  of  islands  dotting  the  Danube,  give 
great  variety  to  its  scenery,  and  render  the  navigation 
of  it  very  difficult,  the  current  sweeping  so  rapidly 
round  some  of  these  islands  as  to  form  a  perfect  whirl- 
pool, through  which  at  times  it  was  exceedingly  diffi- 
cult to  pass.  "We  met  but  few  boats,  and  occasionally 
saw  large  rafts  going  down  the  river,  on  which  was  oft- 
en quite  a  family,  a  "  little  cubby  house"  being  fitted 
up  for  their  accommodation. 

Once  more  the  scene  changed  ;  the  trees  disappeared, 
and  rich  meadow  lands  usurped  their  place,  diversified 
here  and  there  by  a  neat  looking  village.  Then  we 
came  to  Komorn,  one  of  the  strongest  fortified  towns 
in  Europe,  and  having  seventeen  thousand  inhabitants, 
almost  exclusively  Magyars.  One  Hungarian  gentle- 
man told  us  that  these  Magyars  were  of  Asiatic  origin, 
and  formed  a  class  of  people  quite  distinct,  living  by 
themselves,  and  never  intermarrying  with  other  nations, 
and  being  moreover  of  rather  roving  and  warlike  pro- 
pensities. Shortly  after,  in  conversation  with  an  Aus- 
trian who  has  resided  for  several  years  in  Hungary,  in 
speaking  of  the  Hungarians  he  used  the  word  Magyar. 
I  asked  him  in  what  sense  he  understood  the  term,  and 
he  said  Magyar  was  the  word  used  in  the  Hungarian 
language  for  a  Hungarian,  and  that  at  present  it  was 
used  to  designate  any  person  born  in  Hungary,  no  mat- 
ter of  what  parentage  he  was,  just  as  a  citizen  born  in 
America  would  be  called  an  American,  even  if  his  pa- 
rents were  German  and  he  could  not  speak  a  word  of 
English.  He  said  originally  the  term  "  Magyar"  des- 


186,  LETTERS. 

ignated  a  tribe  that  probably  came  from  Asia  centuries 
ago,  and  settled  in  Hungary.  I  dwell  thus  long  upon 
this  subject,  because  lately  quite  a  question  has  arisen 
in  the  United  States  upon  the  Magyars. 

Again  there  came  a  change  ;  the  banks  swelled  up 
into  hills,  and  the  hills  increased  into  mountains,  some, 
vine-clad,  and  others  well  wooded.  Among  the  hills 
lies  Gran,  a  town  of  eleven  thousand  inhabitants,  the 
residence  of  the  Primate  of  Hungary,  and  said  to  be 
the  richest  see  in  the  world,  the  revenue  being  two  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  a  year. 

Beyond  this  town  the  mountains  swell  out  bold  and 
grand,  now  being  ragged  and  jagged,  and  now  covered 
with  vegetation  to  the  very  summit ;  now  a  half-ruined 
fort  or  a  castle  perched  on  some  giddy  height,  gave  a 
picturesque  feature  to  the  scene  ;  while  the  river,  nar- 
row and  deep,  was  often  so  hemmed  in  by  the  moun- 
tains, as  to  present  the  appearance  of  a  beautiful  lake. 
I  very  much  doubt  whether  the  vaunted  Rhine  can  pre- 
sent finer  scenery  than  this  part  of  the  Danube,  and 
yet  how  seldom  has  it  been  mentioned  by  tourists. 

Vissagrad  was  once  a  favorite  resort  of  the  sover- 
eigns of  Hungary,  and  here  on  a  steep  hill,  are  the  ruins 
of  a  fine  old  castle,  where  the  valiant  Sigismund  was 
once  held  in  captivity  by  his  powerful  subjects.  At  the 
foot  of  this  hill  there  is  a  little  church,  and  all  along 
the  roadside  leading  up  to  it  are  small  chapels  or  ora- 
tories, where  the  pilgrims  to  the  church  stop  to  offer  up 
a  prayer.  I  counted  fourteen  of  these  oratories.  Al- 
most hidden  in  a  clump  of  trees  by  the  water  side,  is 
another  pretty  little  church. 

This  bold  mountain  scenery  continued  for  some  dis- 
tance, and  then  the  scene  became  less  wild,  and  more 


LETTERS.  187 

lovely,  verdant  meadows,  and  vine  clad  hills,  and  wood- 
ed islands,  and  cultivated  fields,  forming  a  beautiful  pic- 
ture, such  as  the  eye  loves  to  rest  upon.  Soon  we  began 
to  see  Pesth,  the  capital  of  Hungary,  and  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  Buda,  the  capital  at  one  period,  and 
in  eleven  hours  from  the  time  of  coming  on  board,  we 
stepped  once  more  on  shore.  I  enjoyed  the  sail  down 
the  Danube  very  much,  for  every  thing  was  new.  The 
boat  was  crowded  with  passengers,  ladies  and  gentle- 
men in  their  rich  furs,  "and  peasants  in  their  homely 
garb,  the  men  wearing  large  white  trowsers,  immense 
jackets,  and  broad  brimmed  black  hats.  The  only 
drawback  to  my  enjoyment  was  the  weather,  for  it  was 
rather  too  cool  for  comfort.  While  in  the  burning 
East,  I  languished  for  the  cool  breezes  of  the  North, 
but  when  the  cool  breezes  came,  I  sighed  for  the  warm 
air  and  bright  sun  of  the  South  and  the  East.  Such 
inconsistent  creatures  are  we,  ever  seeking  for  what  we 
cannot  have. 

We  found  great  trouble  in  getting  lodgings  that 
night,  for  the  town  was  full  of  strangers,  an  annual 
fair  being  now  held  in  Pesth.  At  last  we  took  posses- 
sion of  one  room,  in  a  large  hotel,  but  while  we  went 
to  another  part  of  the  house  to  see  what  accommoda- 
tions were  to  be  had  for  the  Messrs.  P.,  our  room  was 
taken  possession  of  by  a  party  of  Germans,  who  refused 
to  give  it  up,  the  landlord  siding  with  them.  So  once 
more  we  were  cast  adrift,  but  at  length  we  found  quar- 
ters, in  what  proved  to  be  a  second  class  inn.  Howev- 
er, they  provided  us  with  a  good  supper,  and  we  had  a 
nice,  clean  room,  but  our  friends  were  obliged  to  sleep 
over  the  stable,  which  did  not  furnish  them  with  the 
best  odors  imaginable. 


188  LETTERS. 

We  found  the  streets  well  lighted  and  well  paved, 
and  lined  with  handsome  houses  of  stone,  but  although 
the  town  was  said  to  be  so  full,  we  met  very  few  peo- 
ple. The  booths  along  the  quay  were  all  closed,  and 
the  greater  part  of  the  shops,  though  it  was  not  nine 
o'clock.  The  next  day  being  Sunday,  there  seemed  to 
be  but  little  going  on.  We  went  to  a  church  in  the 
morning,  where  a  sermon  was  preached  in  an  unknown 
tongue  to  us,  but  the  preacher  seemed  fervent  and  elo- 
quent, and  the  congregation  attentive  and  devout.  The 
peasant  women  wore  little  jackets  with  large  sleeves, 
and  a  short  petticoat  and  full  apron,  and  immense 
boots,  thick  and  strong.  We  walked  out  twice,  and 
found  the  streets  clean  and  wide,  and  the  houses  of 
quite  a  superior  order. 

We  crossed  over  to  Buda  by  a  handsome  suspension 
bridge,  which  was  opened  for  the  first  time  on  the  fifth 
of  January,  1849,  to  allow  the  army  commanded  by 
Kossuth  to  retreat,  when  pursued  by  superior  Austrian 
forces.  We  walked  through  a  part  of  the  town,  and 
found  many  of  the  streets  grass  grown,  and  the  gener- 
ality of  the  houses  of  one  story,  built  of  stone  and 
stuccoed.  The  Palace,  however,  is  a  large  handsome 
building,  and  in  it  are  kept  the  crown  jewels  of  Hun- 
gary, which  are  guarded  with  jealous  care. 

We  went  up  the  hill  on  which  stands  the  old  fortress, 
seven  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  and  from  this  height  we  had  a  magnificent  view  of 
the  two  cities  at  our  feet,  of  the  river  winding  between, 
and  of  the  country  stretching  around,  a  vast  plain  en- 
compassing them  about,  except  just  in  the  rear  of 
Buda,  where  are  hills  covered  with  vineyards. 

We  went  to  the  "  Hotel  of  the  Queen  of  England," 


LETTERS.  189 

situated  on  the  quay  at  Pesth,  and  had  an  excellent 
dinner  at  a  very  reasonable  price.  Late  last  night  we 
took  the  railroad  for  Vienna,  and  arrived  here  about 
six  o'clock  this  morning,  greatly  pleased  with  our  Hun- 
garian trip.  Letters  from  home  awaited  our  arrival, 
and  when  we  read  letters,  written  only  three  weeks 
since,  it  seemed  as  though  we  were  almost  at  home. 

We  have  devoted  a  greater  part  of  the  day  to  our 
arrangements  for  leaving  Vienna,  doing  a  little  shop- 
ping, taking  our  last  walks,  and  attending  to  that  pest 
of  all  traveling  business,  packing  trunks  and  carpet 
bags.  To-morrow  morning  we  are  off  at  an  early  hour, 
so  adieu  for  the  present. 


LETTER    LXVI. 

Up  the  Danube. — Linz. — Fine  View. — Politeness. — Fertile  Country. — 
Gmunden. — Traun-see. — Ischl. — The  Emperor,  Francis  Joseph. — Cos- 
tumes.— Beautiful  Scenes. — Salt  Bath. 

ISCHL,  Aug.  31st. 
MY  DEAR  M : 

We  left  Vienna  at  six  o'clock  on  Tuesday  morning, 
and  after  riding  an  interminable  distance,  reached  the 
river,  where  we  went  on  board  a  steamboat,  bound  up 
the  Danube.  We  found  the  scenery  on  this  part  of  the 
river  even  more  varied  and  charming  than  that  between 
Austria  and  Hungary.  In  fact,  I  can  imagine  nothing 
more  romantic  and  beautiful  than  the  banks  of  the 
Danube,  and  I  can  only  repeat  my  expressions  of  won- 
der, that  it  is  not  oftener  visited  by  travellers.  At 
times,  only  a  narrow  plain  intervened  between  the  river 
and  the  mountains,  which  were  sometimes  rock-ribbed, 


190  LETTERS. 

but  generally  covered  with  woods,  or  terraced  off  into 
vineyards,  or  divided  into  green  patches  and  smiling 
fields. 

Often,  on  the  very  summit  of  a  precipitous  rock,  and 
scarcely  discernible  from  the  rock  itself,  stood  a  strong 
old  castle,  each  one  having  some  interesting  legend  or 
historical  anecdote  connected  with  it,  but  which  it  would 
require  more  space  to  relate  than  I  have  at  my  present 
disposal.  Two  or  three  of  them  are  of  peculiar  interest, 
as  having  been  the  prison  abode  of  Richard  the  Lion 
Hearted.  We  found  going  up  the  river  against  a  rapid 
current  quite  a  different  affair  from  going  down,  with 
the  current  in  our  favor,  and  we  were  not  able  at  any 
time  to  make  more  than  six  miles  an  hour.  And  yet  I 
did  not  find  it  at  all  tedious,  for  at  every  bend  some 
new  feature  was  presented,  either  a  bold  mountain  peak 
or  a  wild  ravine,  a  pretty  town,  with  its  church  crown- 
ing the  hill,  or  a  sheltered  vale,  where  all  bore  the 
marks  of  beauty  and  fertility.  Convents  and  churches 
always  occupied  the  most  conspicuous  spots,  and  many 
of  these  are  of  great  renown  through  all  the  country 
round,  the  people  flocking  to  them  in  crowds  at  certain 
seasons  of  the  year. 

Occasionally  a  steamboat  would  dart  by  us,  or  we 
would  pass  a  raft,  or  a  rude  boat  crowded  with  peasants, 
each  boat  bearing  aloft  a  cross.  At  almost  every  town 
we  stopped,  so  that  the  passengers  were  constantly 
changing.  In  short,  what  with  gazing  on  the  country, 
and  looking  at  the  people,  reading  a  little  and  sewing  a 
little,  I  had  enough  to  occupy  my  attention  till  evening, 
when,  so  difficult  is  the  navigation  of  the  river,  the  boat 
"  lay  to"  to  wait  for  daylight,  to  proceed  on  her  course. 
There  were  no  berths  in  the  cabins,  and  therefore  no 


LETTEES.  191 

sleeping  accommodations,  except  such  as  the  chairs  fur- 
nished. However,  by  spreading  the  thinnest  possible 
mattress  over  two  or  three  stools,  a  bed  was  provided 
for  such  as  chose  to  pay  a  florin  and  a  half  for  it,  and 
among  this  number  I  was  glad  to  be  included,  as  I  have 
quite  enough  fatigue  to  encounter  by  day,  without  being 
deprived  of  sleep  at  night. 

By  daylight  the  next  morning,  the  boat  was  once 
more  on  the  move,  and  I  went  on  deck  quite  early,  that 
I  might  lose  nought  of  the  lovely  scenery.  The  moun- 
tains had  receded  far  into  the  background,  and  the 
banks  of  the  river  were  very  low  and  flat,  walled  up  in 
many  places,  to  prevent  damage  from  the  rapid  rise  of 
the  river  in  the  Spring.  Soon,  however,  the  mountains 
once  more  encircled  us,  and  the  banks  became  varied 
and  beautiful.  Almost  every  town  we  passed  on  the 
river  had  its  interesting  historical  associations,  connected 
with  the  warlike  deeds  of  some  Prince  or  Emperor,  and 
every  church,  pointing  with  its  taper  spire  toward 
heaven,  seemed  to  have  its  own  tale  of  miracle  and 
healing  virtue. 

We  arrived  at  Linz  about  nine  o'clock,  and  there  we 
left  the  boat  to  go  on  its  way  up  the  river,  while  we  pur- 
sued a  different  direction.  The  scenery  about  Linz  is 
enchanting,  and  I  only  regretted  we  could  see  so  little 
of  it.  Finding  the  train  did  not  leave  till  one  o'clock, 
we  started  off  for  a  walk  to  the  top  of  one  of  the  moun- 
tains back  of  the  town,  whence,  we  were  told,  we  should 
have  a  charming  view. 

After  going  through  a  part  of  the  town,  seeing  the 
peasant  women  with  their  fruits  and  nice,  sweet  looking 
butter,  and  passing  many  handsome  houses,  we  came  to 
a  public  promenade,  shaded  with  fine  trees.  On  stop- 


192  LETTERS. 

ping  to  make  some  inquiries  concerning  the  way,  of  a 
tall,  noble  looking  old  man,  he  politely  offered  to  be  our 
escort  to  the  top  of  the  mountain.  He  spoke  French 
very  fluently,  and  told  us  he  was  a  Belgian  by  birth, 
but  that  he  had  lived  in  Linz  more  than  fifty  years. 

Our  road  wound  along  up  the  mountain  side,  by  vine- 
yards and  orchards  and  gardens,  and  every  house  we 
passed  had  plats  of  flowers  in  front,  and  geraniums, 
roses,  pinks,  &c.,  in  pots  in  the  windows.  Every  where 
here  the  people  seem  fond  of  flowers,  and  always  they 
are  arranged  in  an  artistic  manner. 

Near  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  there  is  a  large 
college  belonging  to  the  Jesuits,  and  an  imposing  church, 
and  all  along  the  mountain  sides,  villas  and  gardens 
dotted  every  slope.  The  view  from  the  top  was  en- 
chanting. The  lofty  mountain  peaks,  so  dark  with 
thick  woods,  the  sunny  slopes  with  their  bright  fields 
and  rich  vineyards,  the  smiling  valleys  stretching  for 
miles  away,  the  Danube  glistening  among  green  fields, 
and  suddenly  breaking  through  a  mountain  gorge  be- 
yond, the  city  sleeping  at  our  feet,  the  white  houses 
peeping  out  here  and  there  from  thick  groves  of  trees, 
distant  mountain  ranges  blending  their  lofty  summits 
with  the  o'erhanging  clouds,  what  a  combination  of 
beauty  and  grandeur  did  these  all  present !  What  lovely 
scenes  there  are  in  this  world  of  ours !  Yet  how  often 
do  we  shut  the  eyes  and  the  heart  to  them ! 

On  coming  back  into  the  town,  we  urged  our  kind 
conductor  to  go  with  us  to  a  cafe*  for  some  refreshment, 
but  he  politely  declined,  and  left  us,  though  not  with- 
out many  thanks  from  all  the  party  for  his  courtesy 
towards  us.  After  leaving  him,  we  lost  our  way  in 
going  to  the  railroad,  and  on  Mr.  P.  (who  speaks  Ger- 


LETTERS.  193 

man  a  little)  asking  the  direction  from  a  gentleman,  he 
turned  to  go  with  us,  and  would  not  leave  us  till  we 
were  in  sight  of  the  railroad.  I  record  these  little  in- 
stances, to  show  the  natural  politeness  of  the  people  of 
this  country. 

From  Linz  to  Gmunden,  on  the  Traunsee,  a  distance 
of  forty  miles,  there  is  a  railroad,  but  as  yet  no  locomo- 
tive has  been  put  on  the  line,  and  the  carriages  are 
drawn  by  horses.  We  were  seven  hours  going  these 
forty  miles,  but  the  country  was  so  lovely  I  did  not  find 
our  progress  at  all  too  slow.  Almost  the  entire  distance, 
our  way  lay  through  a  rich  plain,  well  watered  and  well 
cultivated,  immense  fields  of  clover  and  buckwheat  and 
potatoes  stretching  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  And' 
there  was  not  a  fence  to  be  seen,  so  that  it  seemed  as- 
though  we  were  passing  through  one  immense  meadow. 
Women  were  at  work  in  the  fields,  some  of  them  pro- 
tected from  the  sun  by  large  straw  hats,  but  the  greater  - 
part  of  them  with  no  covering  on  the  head,  except  a 
silk  handkerchief  or  a  muslin  cap.  In  many  places  the 
grass  had  just  been  cut,  and  the  smell  of  the  new  hay 
was  delightful.  How  like  home  it  seemed,  the  merry 
hay-makers,  and  the  mounds  of  green  hay,  and  the 
loaded  wagons ! 

At  times  we  passed  through  large  forests  of  dark  firs, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  long  vista,  Traun  mountain  reared 
its  head  of  granite,  and  seemed  quite  to  shut  in  our 
path.  And  then  other  mountains  appeared,  but  they 
looked  green  and  bright,  compared  with  the  rocky  mass 
of  Traun-stein.  It  was  almost  dark  when  we  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  waters  of  Traun-see,  glistening  among 
the  distant  trees,  a  circle  of  lofty  mountains  hemming 
it  completely  in.  When  we  arrived  at  Gmunden,  lake 
13 


194  LETTERS. 

and  mountains  were  shrouded  in  darkness,  and  it  was 
left  entirely  to  our  imaginations  to  picture  the  scene 
that  might  be  presented  by  daylight. 

Our  supper,  or  dinner,  rather,  consisted  of  fish  from 
the  lake,  but  I  have  eaten  as  nice  elsewhere,  though  a 
good  appetite  gave  them  the  proper  relish.  We  washed 
them  down  with  a  glass  of  capital  German  beer,  which 
I  drink  every  day,  for  two  reasons ;  the  first,  because  I 
like  it ;  the  second,  because  I  am  in  hopes  it  will  help 
fill  out  my  thin  cheeks,  made  so  thin  by  my  fatiguing 
Eastern  journey.  By  five  o'clock  this  morning,  I  was 
out  of  my  bed,  and  standing  at  the  window,  gazing  on 
the  little  lake  spread  out  before  me.  All  there  lay  in 
deep  shadow,  but  the  mountain  peaks  were  lit  up  with 
the  early  beams  of  the  sun. 

From  Gmunden  we  crossed  the  lake,  in  a  small 
steamer,  to  Eben-see,  a  distance  of  nine  miles.  The 
morning  was  clear  and  cold,  like  our  mornings  in  Octo- 
ber, but  the  sail  along  the  whole  length  of  the  lake 
was  one  exquisite  picture.  The  vivid  contrast  between 
.the  bold  granite  peaks  and  the  verdant  slopes  of  the 
forest-covered  mountains,  the  wild  ravines  and  precipi- 
tous gorges,  the  little  villages,  nestling  at  the  foot  of  the 
hills,  the  placid  waters  of  the  lake  reflecting  every  crag 
;and  tree  and  shrub,  the  sunlight  playing  here  and  there, 
.now  gilding  a  mountain  top,  now  lighting  up  a  sheltered 
wale,  and  here  and  there  a  little  stream,  like  a  silver 
.thread,  leaping  down  the  mountain  side,  formed  a  beau- 
tiful picture,  perfect  in  all  its  parts. 

Arriving  at  Eben-see,  we  chose  a  nice,  open  carriage, 
in  preference  to  a  close,  lumbering  diligence,  and  came 
on  here  very  comfortably,  a  distance  of  twelve  miles, 
the  road  running  alongside  of  the  Traun  river,  a  wide, 


LETTERS.  195 

rapid  stream,  which  sweeps  down  from  the  mountains 
beyond,  and  empties  into  the  Traun-see.  Here  and 
there  along  the  road,  were  little  oratories,  containing  a 
small  altar  and  pictures  and  wreaths  of  flowers,  or  rude 
crucifixes  and  images  of  Christ  and  the  Virgin  Mary. 
Beggars  of  every  age  and  condition  beset  the  carriage, 
and  children  ran  after  us  for  miles,  clasping  their  little 
hands  and  beseeching  us  for  alms.  Many  of  the  wo- 
men had  large  goitres  on  their  necks,  like  those  we  used 
to  see  in  Switzerland,  and  in  some  of  the  fields  we  saw 
women  wielding  the  scythe  as  skillfully  as  any  man. 

When  we  arrived  here,  we  were  quite  ready  for  our 
breakfast,  having  been  up  more  than  five  hours.  We 
are  at  the  hotel  Kaiserin  Elizabeth,  or  in  plain  English, 
Empress  Elizabeth,  and  a  capital  hotel  it  is  too,  nice, 
clean  rooms,  and  an  excellent  table  and  a  civil  and 
obliging  landlord.  As  we  knew  the  Emperor  was  at 
Ischl,  we  began  at  once  to  make  inquiries  about  him, 
for  we  wished  to  have  an  opportunity  to  see  him,  if  it 
was  a  possible  thing.  But  we  were  told  he  had  just  left 
for  Vienna !  This  was  rather  provoking  intelligence, 
but  fortunately  it  proved  to  be  untrue,  for  while  we 
were  still  at  breakfast,  we  heard  a  great  clattering  in 
the  street,  and  we  had  just  time  to  run  to  the  windows 
and  see  the  royal  carriages  go  by.  The  young  Empress, 
whom  I  wished  most  of  all  to  see,  had  passed  before  I 
reached  the  window ;  the  next  carriage  contained  the 
Ex-Empress  and  the  Queen  of  Prussia,  all  in  mourning 
for  the  late  King  of  Saxony,  and  in  the  last  carriage 
was  the  Emperor  Francis  Joseph,  in  a  plain  military 
undress.  He  is  quite  as  youthful  looking  as  his  por- 
traits represent  him,  and  has  a  light  complexion,  and 
hair  and  mustache  inclining  to  sandy.  I  understand  he 


196  LETTERS. 

is  very  popular  among  his  people,  and  is  disposed  to 
rule  them  with  a  just  and  firm,  yet  a  gentle  hand.  Ischl 
is  one  of  his  favorite  places  of  resort  in  the  summer, 
and  while  here,  I  am  told  he  walks  and  drives  about  in 
a  simple,  unpretending  manner,  coming  almost  daily  to 
this  hotel,  where  he  makes  himself  quite  at  home. 

The  remainder  of  the  day  we  have  spent  out  of  doors, 
returning  only  at  five  o'clock  to  dinner.  The  various 
walks  about  Ischl  are  delightful,  and  I  would  gladly 
spend  a  week  or  two  here,  if  we  had  the  time  to  spare. 
It  is  famous  for  its  salt  baths,  and  is  a  fashionable  place 
of  resort  during  the  summer,  not  only  for  the  imperial 
family,  but  for  the  Austrian  nobility,  as  well  as  for 
English  tourists. 

Ischl  lies  in  a  lovely  valley,  watered  by  the  Ischl  and 
the  Traun  rivers,  and  is  completely  girded  around  with 
mountains,  a  few  of  them  craggy  and  bare,  but  the 
greater  part  wooded,  or  divided  off  into  green  and  sunny 
patches.  Stretching  up  along  every  mountain  side  are 
beautiful  country  seats,  and  the  clumps  of  dark  trees 
contrast  charmingly  with  the  bright  green  of  the  mead- 
ows. Here  and  there,  in  a  gorge  far  up  some  mountain 
peak,  the  snow  glistens,  looking  cold  and  pure,  while 
the  valley  below  is  bathed  in  warm  sunshine. 

We  went  up  a  mountain  side,  and  had  a  delicious 
view  of  the  valley,  with  its  sparkling  rivers  and 
pretty  white  houses,  and  lovely  meadows  dotted  over 
with  trees,  and  of  mountain  after  mountain,  rising  ma- 
jestically around  us.  Through  the  murmur  of  the  trees 
came  the  soft  gush  of  a  distant  waterfall,  and  the  velvet 
sward  beneath  our  feet  was  enamelled  with  sweet  flow- 
ers. It  was  very,  very  lovely,  though  I  utterly  despair 
of  giving  you  any  adequate  idea  of  it.  Wherever  we 


LETTERS.  197 

turned,  some  new  beauties  unfolded,  and  a  wild,  ro- 
mantic glen  or  a  dark  ravine,  a  towering  peak  or  a 
smiling  vale,  had  its  own  peculiar  charm. 

All  the  men  about  here  wear  tall,  conical  black  hats, 
with  a  bunch  of  flowers  on  one  side,  or  a  tuft  of  feathers, 
while,  the  women  wear  tight-fitting  jackets,  with  sleeves 
large  at  the  top,  a  skirt  of  different  color  and  materials, 
and  a  full  apron,  reaching  quite  round  the  waist.  The 
men  are  fine  looking,  but  justice  requires  me  to  add  that 
the  women  are  the  homeliest  set  I  ever  came  across.  I 
think  there  must  have  been  some  fete,  for  we  met  mul- 
titudes of  peasants  in  holiday  attfre. 

After  dinner,  we  walked  to  the  top  of  a  hill  called 
"  Calvary  Hill,"  near  the  summit  of  which  is  a  church 
decorated  with  an  unusual  number  of  pictures  and 
images,  and  surrounded  by  a  multitude  of  shrines  and 
oratories,  before  which  many  people  were  kneeling  and 
praying.  I  followed  a  path  leading  far  back  of  the 
church,  where  the  trees  were  thick  and  dark  around 
me,  but  through  openings  in  them,  I  caught  enchanting 
glimpses  of  the  rich  vale  below.  All  along  this  path 
were  tall  crosses,  or  large  crucifixes,  each  having,  in 
addition  to  the  image  of  the  Saviour  nailed  to  it,  a  full 
sized  figure  below,  of  the  Virgin  Mary. 

Night  came  on  solemnly  and  grandly  amid  these  ex- 
quisite scenes,  and  as  I  gazed  on  the  vale  beneath  me, 
wrapped  in  dark  shadows,  and  then  looked  on  the  peaks 
far,  far  above  me,  shining  out  beautifully  and  clearly,  in 
the  last  beams  of  the  sinking  sun,  I  thought  of  those 
stricken  ones,  who  are  often  called  to  walk  mournfully 
and  sadly  through  the  vale  of  life,  darkened  by  the 
shadows  of  sin  and  suffering  and  sorrow,  but  while  all 
is  dark  around  them,  the  eye  of  faith  looks  up,  and  sees 


198  LETTERS. 

bright  and  sunny  hills,  illuminated  by  the  blessed  rays 
of  the  Sun  of  Righteousness.  Happy,  happy  ones,  who 
can  look  thus  from  earth  below  to  Heaven  above  ! 

After  we  came  down  from  the  mountain,  we  walked  to 
the  entrance  of  the  imperial  grounds,  and  then  came  back 
through  the  streets  of  the  town,  to  a  promenade  tjiickly 
shaded  with  trees,  running  along  side  of  the  river.  I 
walked  there  till  I  was  tired,  and  then  both  fatigue  and 
dampness  drove  me  to  my  room,  where  I  have  charmed 
away  my  fatigue  by  gossipping  with  you. 

I  shall  long  remember  this  day  among  the  mountains, 
and  hope  to  have  a  few  more  as  pleasant  in  our  further 
journey  through  the  Tyrol.  Oh  !  I  had  forgotten  before 
to  tell  you  I  tried  a  salt  bath  this  afternoon,  and  liked  it 
much,  better  than  I  did  a  glass  of  the  water  I  forced 
myself  to  drink. 

And  now  good-bye  for  a  while. 


LETTER    LXVII. 

Departure  from  Ischl. — Open  carriage. — Mountainous  Country. — Wolf- 
gang-see.— Churches. — Cemeteries. —  Beggars. —  Students. — Travelling 
Journeymen. — Salzburg. — Queen  of  Prussia. — Ex-Empress  of  Austria. 
— The  Square. — Birthplace  of  Mozart. 

SALZBUHG,  Sept.  2d. 
MY  DEAR  P. : 

"We  left  Ischl  yesterday  morning  in  an  open  carriage, 
preferring  that  mode  of  conveyance  to  a  close  diligence, 
where  we  might  be  shut  up  with  a  party  of  smoking  Ger- 
mans, who  smoke  and  spit  rather  more  than  the  Amer- 
icans. As  there  are  four  of  us,  it  is  quite  as  cheap  to 
hire  a  carriage  by  ourselves,  as  to  go  in  the  diligence, 


LETTERS.  199 

and  far  more  pleasant,  for  we  can  stop  when  we  like, 
and  pause  on  the  way  as  long  as  we  choose,  if  there  are 
interesting  objects  to  attract  our  attention. 

Our  road  was  all  among  the  mountains,  yet  what 
more  can  I  say  of  them,  than  of  those  around  Ischl  ? 
I  never  enjoyed  a  day's  ride  more  in  my  life,  than  yes- 
terday, for  we  were  among  some  of  the  grandest  scenes 
of  nature,  high  mountains  and  beautiful  valleys,  and 
gushing  streams  and  fountains,  and  thick  forests  and 
sunny  glades,  and  though  the  snow  rested  on  many 
a  lofty  peak,  we  were  in  bright  and  genial  sun- 
shine, and  the  air  was  deliciously  warm  and  invigor- 
ating. 

We  left  Ischl  about  seven,  though  we  ordered  the 
carriage  at  six,  and  having  to  wait  more  than  an  hour 
for  slow  German  movements,  was  by  no  means  an 
agreeable  commencement  of  our  journey.  However, 
when  we  found  we  could  not  leave  here  yesterday,  and 
accomplish  what  we  wished  to,  we  grew  more  reconciled 
to  the  delay. 

It  was  a  pretty  sight  for  the  first  hour  or  two  after 
we  started,  to  watch  the  mists  as  they  rolled  away  from 
the  mountain  tops,  now  disclosing  a  patch  of  meadow 
land,  now  revealing  a  dark  forest,  and  now  enshroud- 
ing all  in  obscurity.  Later,  when  the  mists  had  disap- 
peared, we  had  magnificent  views  of  the  mountains,  and 
far  away  saw  the  glimmer  of  a  lovely  lake,  called 
"  Wolfgang-see."  Clearer  and  clearer  shone  out  the 
beauteous  lake,  as  we  approached  nearer  to  it,  and  the 
water  lay  so  perfectly  placid  that  every  tree  and  leaf 
were  reflected  distinctly  as  in  a  mirror.  Our  landlord 
at  Ischl  advised  us  to  leave  the  carriage  at  that  part  of 
the  lake,  and  row  across  to  the  other  end,  where  the 


200  LETTERS. 

carriage  would  await  us,  but  I  did  not  fancy  going  so 
far  in  a  small  boat,  so  we  swept  around  the  margin  of 
the  lake,  and  had  quite  as  good  views  of  it  as  though 
we  had  been  in  a  boat. 

By  not  stopping  there,  however,  we  lost  our  break- 
fast, as  there  was  no  other  good  inn  for  several  miles 
farther  on,  so  that  we  got  nothing  to  eat  till  after  eleven, 
and  by  that  time  we  were  ravenous,  having  bfcen  up 
since  five  o'clock,  without  eating  a  mouthful. 

"When  we  stopped  to  breakfast,  it  was  near  a  church, 
where  some  interesting  service  seemed  to  be  going  on, 
for  it  was  crowded  with  the  peasantry,  in  their  very  best 
attire,  the  women  in  large  straw  hats  and  nice  jackets, 
and  nearly  every  one  of  them  having  on  a  necklace, 
.composed  of  small  silver  strands,  fastened  around  the 
throat  with  an  immense  clasp.  Every  man  had  either 
a  nosegay  or  a  feather  in  his  hat,  and  all,  both  men  and 
women,  looked  the  picture  of  health  and  happiness. 

All*  along,  we  saw  women  working  in  the  fields,  or 
driving  carts,  or  carrying  immense  burdens  in  baskets 
or  tubs  slung  over  their  shoulders.  In  these  countries, 
where  a  large  standing  army  is  kept,  a  great  many  of 
the  men  must  be  soldiers,  while  the  burden  of  field 
labor  rests  upon  the  women. 

Oratories  and  images  lined  the  road,  and  beggars 
beset  the  carriage  in  such  numbers  it  was  impossible  to 
give  to  all,  without  draining  the  purse  rather  too  much,  so 
I  selected  the  old  and  the  infirm  as  objects  of  my  bounty. 

Passing  an  ordinary  looking  inn,  we  saw  under  the 
portico  a  number  of  laborers  sitting  round  a  table, 
drinking  beer,  eating  coarse  bread,  and  smoking.  One 
•of  them  held  a  little  girl  in  his  arms,  apparently  be- 
.tween  three  and  four  years  old,  who  had  a  pipe  between 


LETTERS.  201 

her  lips,  occasionally  taking  quite  a  whiff!  This  is  be- 
ginning life  early. 

The  churches  we  passed  had  little  cemeteries  around 
them,  filled  with  crosses  and  images,  each  grave  having 
one  or  more,  and  many  of  them  decked  out  with  flowers 
beside.  The  churches  were  always  open,  and  many  a 
passing  traveller  stepped  in  to  offer  up  a  short  prayer 
before  a  hallowed  shrine.  Every  body  we  met  was  polite 
and  civil  to  us,  the  men  taking  off  their  hats,  the  women 
bowing  and  smiling,  and  the  children  kissing  their 
hands. 

Every  hour  we  meet  numbers  of  men  journeying  on 
foot,  knapsacks  on  their  backs,  boots  and  boot  brushes 
in  plain  sight.  Some  are  students,  spending  their  va- 
cations in  going  about  in  this  cheap  manner,  to  see  the 
world,  and  as  they  generally  stop  at  second  class  inns, 
where  the  fare  is  plain  and  unexpensive,  their  journey, 
though  it  is  often  a  long  one,  costs  them  but  little. 
The  greater  part,  however,  of  these  travellers  are 
journeymen,  who,  before  they  can  obtain  their  free- 
dom, are  obliged,  according  to  a  regulation  prevailing 
in  Germany,  to  travel  a  certain  number  of  years,  stop- 
ping at  such  places  where  they  may  profitably  work  at 
their  trade.  On  their  way  from  place  to  place,  they  are 
often  obliged  to  beg  from  their  countrymen,  or  from 
passing  travellers,  and  they  consider  this  no  act  of  deg- 
radation whatever.  Whenever  their  prescribed  term  of 
wandering  has  expired,  they  return,  home,  when  they 
are  obliged  to  exhibit  some  specimens  of  their  handicraft, 
and  if  this  is  approved  by  the  corporation  or  trade  to 
which  they  belong,  they  receive  their  freedom,  and  are 
allowed  to  do  business  for  themselves.  I  have  dwelt 
thus  minutely  on  this  national  custom,  because  it  is 


202  LETTERS. 

often  alluded  to  by  Goethe  and  other  German  writers, 
and  because  otherwise  a  traveller  cannot  account  for  so 
often  being  accosted  by  stout,  healthy  young  men,  who 
modestly,  yet  unhesitatingly  ask  for  alms. 

Through  an  opening  in  the  hills,  about  three  o'clock, 
we  descried  Salzburg,  seated  in  a  lovely  plain  watered 
by  the  Salz  river,  and  surrounded  by  lofty  mountains, 
from  the  summits  of  which  castles,  monasteries  and 
churches,  looked  down  upon  the  plain  beneath.  The 
effect  of  the  contrast  between  the  bright  green  vale,  and 
the  dark  forests  on  the  mountains,  was  delightful,  and 
as  we  rode  on,  new  scenes  of  beauty  were  revealed  to 
our  admiring  gaze.  Upon  a  lofty  mountain,  rising  pre- 
cipitously from  the  town,  stands  the  citadel,  a  castle- 
like  looking  edifice,  seeming  of  strength  sufficient  to 
defy  time  and  change  and  hostile  attack.  A  thick  wall 
runs  around  the  town,  and  the  moat  beyond  is  covered 
with  grass  of  the  richest  green  imaginable. 

When  we  arrived  at  our  hotel,  (Golden  Ship,)  we 
found  every  body  on  the  look-out,  and  we  were  told 
the  Queen  of  Prussia  was  about  to  leave  the  town,  so 
we  rushed  to  a  window,  where  we  saw  horses  and  car- 
riages, and  liveried  servants  and  soldiers,  and  had 
ample  time  to  look  at  these,  as  it  was  quite  a  half  hour 
before  the  royal  personage  made  her  appearance,  and 
then  we  had  more  of  royalty  than  we  had  expected,  for 
she  was  accompanied  by  the  wife  of  the  Emperor  Ferdi- 
nand, who  renounced  the  throne  in  1848.  Both  ladies 
are  in  the  decline  of  life,  and  both  were  dressed  in 
mourning,  in  honor  of  the  late  King  of  Saxony.  After 
escorting  the  Prussian  Queen  a  short  distance  on  her 
journey,  the  Ex-Empress  returned  to  her  palace,  which 
is  on  one  side  of  the  square  on  which  our  hotel  stands. 


LETTERS.  203 

Opposite  the  hotel,  is  the  cathedral,  an  imposing 
edifice,  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  square  is  the  guard- 
house, the  clock  of  which,  at  morning  and  evening, 
sends  forth  the  most  dulcet  chimes  imaginable.  In  the 
centre  of  the  square  is  a  magnificent  fountain,  where, 
from  the  mouths  of  four  bronze  horses,  pour  incessantly 
little  streams  of  water,  which  fill  the  air  with  their  soft, 
rippling  sound. 

"We  ordered  dinner,  and  while  it  was  being  prepared, 
took  a  stroll  to  see  the  town,  which,  though  only  con- 
taining thirteen  thousand  inhabitants,  covers  a  good 
deal  of  space.  The  streets  are  wide  and  well-paved, 
and  lined  with  nice  houses  and  handsome  churches. 
One  street  is  so  entirely  under  a  mountain,  that  its  sum- 
mit seems  to  hang  over  the  roofs  of  the  houses,  pro- 
ducing a  most  singular  effect. 

In  this  town,  the  great  Mozart  was  born,  and  the 
house  is  still  shown  that  was  honored  by  that  event,  and 
in  a  square  near  our  hotel,  a  noble  statue  of  him,  in 
bronze,  has  been  erected. 

Some  of  the  shops  are  filled  with  beautiful  specimens 
of  carving  in  wood,  ivory  and  bone,  done  by  the  Tyrol- 
ese,  into  the  purchase  of  -which  I  should  have  enjoyed 
entering  at  a  large  expense,  if  I  had  not  been  hindered 
by  prudence. 

I  must  reserve  the  remainder  of  my  remarks  about 
Salzburg  till  to-morrow,  so  good-bye  for  now. 


204  LETTERS. 


LETTER    LXYIII. 

Quiet  Sunday. — Visit  to  salt  mines. — Costume  for  the  mines. — Amusing 
appearance. — Mode  of  getting  the  salt. — Chambers. — Inclined  planes. 
— Wooden  Horse. — Miners. — Holbrunn. — Promenades. 

SALZBURG,  Sept.  3d. 
MY  DEAREST  FRIENDS  : 

We  have  spent  a  very  quiet  day  to-day,  going  out  this 
morning  to  one  or  two  churches,  where,  as  we  could 
not  understand  the  services  or  the  preaching,  we  hoped 
we  might  hear  some  good  music,  but  in  this  we  were  dis- 
appointed, there  being  no  music  at  all  in  either  of  the 
churches.  After  dinner  we  walked  to  the  top  of  the 
hill  on  which  the  citadel  is  built,  and  had  an  extensive 
view  of  the  whole  country  around,  Alps  rising  on  Alps, 
and  the  beautiful  vale  slumbering  at  our  feet.  We 
saw  the  sun  set  from  this  elevated  spot,  and  then  came 
home  by  a  winding  walk  through  dark  forests  and 
across  bright  green  glades.  And  very  quiet  too  it  was, 
"  that  Sabbath  eve  in  summer  tide."  We  met  occa- 
sionally a  group  of  neatly  dressed  people,  but  the  usual 
resort  on  Sundays  is  the  park  of  Holbrunn,  or  some  ad- 
joining garden. 

And  now  I  will  tell  you  about  our  adventures  yes- 
terday, when  we  had  quite  an  exciting  day,  for  we  vis- 
ited the  celebrated  salt  mines,  a  few  miles  distant  from 
here,  when  once  more  I  was  tempted  to  go  far  into  the 
bowels  of  the  earth.  We  took  a  carriage  to  Hallein,  a 
small  town  where  the  salt  works  are  carried  on,  and 
then  we  had  rather  a  fatiguing  walk  of  nearly  an  hour 
up  thQ  mountain  side.  But  nothing  could  exceed  the 
charming  views  we  enjoyed  in  this  walk.  The  moun- 


LETTERS.  205 

tains  above  us,  in  their  robes  of  dark  green,  the  smil- 
ing valley  below,  with  its  sparkling  river,  the  lovely 
meadows  surrounding  the  town,  gave  us  delicious  pic- 
tures, and  more  than  a  hundred  times  I  said,  "  this  is 
the  country  where  I  would  like  to  spend  weeks,  and 
even  months." 

And  here  I  will  digress  a  little  to  say  that  perhaps 
you  may  think  it  strange  for  us  when  we  are  pressed  for 
time,  to  travel  about  in  these  mountainous  regions  in 
this  slow  way,  when  we  could  see  so  much  more  by  go- 
ing from  city  to  city  on  the  railroads.  But  as  I  fully 
believe  the  maxim  uttered  by  Pope  or  somebody  else, 
that  "  God  made  the  country  but  man  made  the  towns," 
I  prefer  the  handiwork  of  God  to  that  of  man,  and 
have  wished  to  spend  some  of  the  time  we  have  for 
Germany,  in  seeing  the  glorious  views  of  nature,  rather 
than  in  visiting  museums  filled  with  curiosities,  and 
galleries  of  paintings,  even  though  many  of  them  may 
be  the  works  of  the  great  masters  themselves.  Man 
may  exceed  man,  but  nothing  can  ever  surpass  the 
works  of  God. 

Arriving  at  the  entrance  of  the  mines  we  were  told 
we  must  divest  ourselves  of  our  usual  habiliments,  and 
be  attired  in  a  costume  adapted  to  the  mines.  To  this 
I  had  no  great  objection,  as  I  had  done  it  once  before 
in  England,  but  when  a  loose  jacket  and  trowsers  were 
brought  for  me  to  put  on,  I  stoutly  demurred  at  thus 
disguising  myself,  and  declared  "  up  and  down,"  I 
would  not  go  dressed  as  a  man.  The  loose  sack  I  was 
willing  to  put  on,  but  the  trowsers  I  respectfully  de- 
clined. I  exhausted  my  broken  German  in  trying  to 
convince  my  female  attendant  they  were  not  necessary, 
but  all  in  vain.  She  talked  fast,  and  perhaps  convinc- 


206  LETTERS. 

ingly  on  the  subject,  though  I  did  not  understand  one 
word  in  ten  that  she  said.  At  last,  finding  me  incorri- 
gible, she  called  up  our  French  "  valet  de  place,"  who 
politely  informed  me  that  the  trowsers  were  indispensa- 
ble, as  I  should  be  obliged  to  slide  down  several  inclined 
planes,  where  petticoats,  (to  speak  right  out  in  plain 
English,)  would  be  very  much  in  the  way.  "  Silenced 
but  not  convinced,"  I  consented  to  put  on  the  "  unmen- 
tionables," but  here  a  new  difficulty  arose.  They  were 
of  white  linen,  which  would  have  been  rather  thin  for 
those  subterranean  regions,  and  so  I  was  obliged  to  put 
them  on  over  all  my  clothes,  which^as  no  easy  job,  as 
I  was  dressed  for  a  cool  ,day.  However,  by  dint  of 
rolling  up  in  some  places,  and  pulling  down  in  others, 
I  made  out  to  get  on  the  pantaloons,  over  which  I  wore 
the  loose  white  linen  jacket  or  sack,  fastened  around 
the  waist  by  a  leather  belt,  the  end  of  the  jacket  mak- 
ing quite  a  respectable  frill  below  the  waist,  so  that 
altogether  I  flatter  myself,  I  looked  quite  like  a  fash- 
ionable Bloomer.  The  effect  of  this  unique  costume 
was  somewhat  heightened  by  the  pantaloons  being  tied 
tight  around  the  ancle,  and  by  my  wearing  on  my  head 
a  coarse  cap  of  blue  cloth. 

When  I  joined  the  gentlemen,  I  found  them  dressed 
precisely  like  me,  with  the  exception  that  they  each 
had  on  a  leather  apron,  (not  before,  where  aprons  are 
generally  worn,)  but  behind,  to  protect  themselves 
while  sliding  down  the  inclined  planes,  and  a  stout 
glove  on  the  right  hand,  with  which  they  were  to  hold 
on  to  the  rope  while  sliding.  As  soon  as  I  saw  the 
glove,  I  asked  why  I  did  not  have  one  also,  and  was 
told  that  I  was  not  to  hold  by  the  rope,  but  by  the 
shoulder  of  the  guide  who  would  always  precede  me. 


LETTERS.  207 

The  first  few  minutes  were  spent  in  laughing  at  each 
other's  appearance,  and  then  we  entered  the  mines  ; 
first  a  guide  carrying  a  lantern,  then  one  of  our  com- 
panions bearing  a  large  candle,  followed  by  my  trans- 
formed self,  and  the  two  other  gentlemen,  the  rear  being 
brought  up  by  another  guide  with  a  lantern.  Tramp, 
tramp,  we  went  through  a  long  passage  cut  into  the 
mountain  and  walled  up,  or  pierced  through  the  solid 
rock,  our  procession  of  white  figures,  looking  in  the 
dim  light  like  a  company  of  ghosts.  Occasionally  we 
came  to  places  where  strata  of  salt  glistened  in  the 
rock,  sometimes  of  a  dazzling  white,  sometimes  of  a 
deep  yellow  or  delicate  lilac.  On  either  hand  of  us 
was  a  large  pipe,  one  for  conveying  fresh  water  into 
the  mines,  the  other  for  carrying  the  salt  water  out. 
And  here  I  will  say,  that  the  salt  in  these  mines  does 
not  lie  like  pure  rock  salt,  or  in  large  masses,  which 
can  be  quarried  like  stone,  but  is  scattered  along  in 
veins  and  threads,  mingled  with  clay,  marl  and  gyp- 
sum, which  are  soft,  and  easily  dissolved  in  water.  To 
obtain  this  salt,  pits  and  galleries  are  cut  through  the 
limestone  rock,  till  the  beds  are  reached  which  contain 
the  salt,  and  then  a  small  chamber  is  excavated,  and 
pipes  laid  down  to  it  from  above,  and  leading  out  of  it, 
but  those  leading  out  below  are  stopped  up  with  valves, 
which  can  be  opened  and  shut  at  pleasure.  A  stream 
of  fresh  water  is  then  introduced  from  above  into  the 
chamber,  until  it  is  full  up  to  the  very  ceiling.  The 
water  immediately  attacks  the  sides  and  roof,  dissolv- 
ing the  salt  it  imbibes,  the  clay  and  other  matter  fall- 
ing to  the  bottom  of  the  pool.  As  fast  as  a  void  is 
made  in  the  chamber,  more  fresh  water  is  let  in,  and 
more  salt  is  imbibed,  and  this  process  is  continued  till 


208  LETTERS. 

the  water  is  perfectly  saturated  with  salt,  and  has  be- 
come a  strong  brine.  In  these  mines  three  weeks  are 
sufficient  for  this  process  ;  in  some  others  a  longer  time  is 
required,  sometimes  even  a  whole  year  being  necessary. 

Then,  the  pipe  leading  out  of  the  chamber  is  opened, 
the  mountain  being  tapped  as  it  were,  and  the  salt  wa- 
ter is  drawn  off  and  carried  in  pipes  to  the  boiling 
houses.  When  the  water  is  thoroughly  drained  off, 
the  chamber  is  found  to  have  extended  upwards  and  to 
have  become  wider  by  one  or  two  feet,  while  the  floor  is 
considerably  raised  by  the  refuse  particles  deposited  at 
the  bottom.  After  taking  out  the  rubbish  and  beating 
down  firmly  the  mud  and  the  earth,  fresh  water  is 
again  let  in,  salt  is  imbibed  as  before,  and  the  brine 
made,  and  the  process  is  repeated  till  the  chamber 
becomes  so  large  there  is  danger  of  its  giving  way,  and 
then  it  is  no  longer  used.  There  is  a  large  number  of 
these  chambers  in  this  mine,  and  we  passed  through 
one  of  them  in  a  flat  boat  drawn  along  by  a  rope  pulled 
by  invisible  hands.  This  chamber  was  three  hundred 
feet  long,  and  two  hundred  wide,  and  was  lighted  up 
by  a  multitude  of  little  tapers  fixed  in  the  wall,  and 
these  .were  reflected  in  the  black  looking  water,  but 
failed  to  penetrate  the  darkness  above  our  heads.  This 
immense  chamber  was  entirely  devoid  of  any  pillars  to 
support  the  roof,  and  when  I  thought  of  the  mountain 
over  our  heads,  and  the  water,  to  the  depth  of  seven  or 
eight  feet  beneath  us,  I  shuddered  at  the  idea  of  any 
accident  befalling  us  in  so  dreadful  a  place. 

But  I  have  gone  a  little  too  far  ;  let  me  return  again 
to  the  gallery  we  first  entered.  Judging  by  the  time 
it  took  us  to  walk  through  it,  we  thought  it  must  have 
been  nearly  a  mile  in  length,  and  although  we  were  so 


LETTERS.  209 

far  under  ground,  the  air  was  remarkably  pure.  At 
last  we  reached  one  of  the  inclined  planes  down  which 
we  were  to  slide,  far,  far  beyond  what  the  eye  could  see. 
It  seemed,  indeed,  like  making  "  a  leap  in  the  dark." 
It  was  so  dark  I  could  not  see  exactly  how  these  planes 
were  made  :  all  I  know  is,  I  had  to  put  my  feet  over  a 
smooth  log,  rest  my  hands  on  the  shoulder  of  the 
guide,  who  was  seated  in  like  manner  astride  the  log, 
holding  by  a  firm  gripe  to  the  large  rope  on  the  right, 
which  served  to  steady  his  course.  His  lantern  he  fast- 
ened to  his  waist,  and  after  seeing  that  I  was  firm  in, 
or  rather  on  my  seat,  he  darted  ahead,  and  I  followed. 
I  scarcely  dared  breathe,  and  I  only  remember  of  think- 
ing that  I  no  longer  wondered  that  trousers  and  a 
leather  apron  were  indispensable  in  such  a  slide  as 
that.  This  first  descent  was  three  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  long,  at  an  angle  of  between  forty  and  forty  eight 
degrees,  and  we  accomplished  it  in  a  minute  and  a  half ; 
Was  it  not  fearful  progress  ? 

As  soon  as  I  was  on  "  terra  firma"  I  paused  to  see 
my  companions  come  down,  and  I  can  assure  you  it 
was  a  strange  sight,  first  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  their 
lanterns  and  white  clothes  peering  out  from  the  dark- 
ness, and  then,  before  you  could  say  "  Jack  Robinson," 
see  them  darting  down  the  steep  descent. 

Then  came  other  galleries  and  deserted  chambers, 
and  four  more  inclined  planes,  some  shorter,  some  lon- 
ger, and  then  we  seated  ourselves  on  what  was  called 
a  "  wooden  horse,"  on  which  truth  compels  me  to  add 
we  were  all  obliged  to  ride  astride,  and  with  one  miner 
pulling  before  and  another  pushing  behind,  we  trav- 
ersed a  passage  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock,  extending 
more  than  a  mile  in  length,  and  here  we  found  the  air 
14 


210  LETTERS. 

both  damp  and  cold.  When  we  had  gone  about  half 
the  distance,  the  guide  pointed  to  a  glimmering  star  far 
ahead  ;  it  was  the  light  of  day  peeping  in  at  the  end  of 
the  passage.  Brighter  and  brighter  grew  this  star,  and 
more  and  more  quickly  our  "  wooden  horse"  darted  on, 
till  at  length  after  more  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  in 
this  last  passage,  we  found  ourselves  in  the  open  air  on 
the  mountain  side,  where  our  "  valet  de  place"  awaited 
us  with  the  articles  we  had  left  in  his  care. 

We  were  more  than  two  hours  in  this  mine,  and  at 
one  time  had  a  large  church  over  our  heads,  and  at 
another  were  more  than  two  thousand  feet  below  the 
surface  of  the  earth.  In  different  parts  of  the  mines 
there  are  monuments  of  the  emperor  of  Austria,  and 
some  other  distinguished  personages  whose  names  have 
quite  escaped  my  recollection.  In  one  of  the  chambers 
we  saw  some  beautiful  crystals  and  petrifactions,  some 
of  them  of  very  large  size,  which  have  been  found  at 
times  in  the  mines.  These  mines  are  so  very  extensive 
that  the  guide  told  us  it  would  require  more  than  a 
week  to  go  over  them.  They  extend  quite  beyond  the 
Bavarian  frontier,  but  Austria  alone  has  the  right  of 
working  them. 

The  miners  go  to  their  work  at  six  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  work  till  noon,  when  they  are  relieved  by 
another  set  of  hands,  who  work  till  six  in  the  afternoon, 
so  that  the  labor  of  the  miners  is  by  no  means  hard. 
These  mines  yield  a  great  revenue  to  the  government, 
producing  annually  on  an  average  six  hundred  thousand 
quintals  of  salt. 

They  are  of  very  ancient  origin ;  in  fact  the  date 
of  their  origin  is  lost  in  obscurity,  though  it  is  proved 
to  a  certainty  that  they  were  in  existence  more  than 


LETTERS.  211 

twelve  hundred  years  ago,  being  known  not  only  to  the 
Romans,  but  to  the  nations  that  preceded  them. 

On  our  way  back  to  the  village  we  went  into  one  of 
the  boiling  houses,  where  we  saw  the  process  of  con- 
verting the  brine  into  salt.  Then  we  had  a  lunch  of 
bread  and  butter,  honey  and  beer,  after  which,  refreshed 
in  body  and  mind,  we  started  on  our  homeward  way. 
About  three  miles  before  reaching  here,  we  stopped  to 
visit  the  park  and  chateau  of  Hollbrunn,  once  belong- 
ing to  one  of  the  powerful  archbishops  of  Salzburg,  but 
now  the  property  of  the  Emperor  of  Austria,  who 
rarely  visits  it  however,  (in  fact  the  chateau  is  entirely 
unfurnished)  preferring  to  stay  at  the  Palace  in  Salz- 
burg, whenever  he  visits  this  part  of  the  country. 

The  grounds  are  very  extensive,  and  abound  in  lovely 
scenes,  and  the  view  from  the  upper  story  of  the  chat- 
eau is  magnificent,  taking  in  at  one  glance  the  valley 
of  the  Salza,  and  its  surrounding  mountains.  The 
fountains  are  more  extensive  and  varied  at  Hollbrunn, 
than  any  I  have  ever  seen,  and  I  could  not  give  "you  a 
full  account  of  them  without  going  into  a  most  elabo- 
rate description,  and  so  I  will  just  mention  a  few  of 
them.  In  a  grotto  there  is  a  figure  surmounted  by 
a  crown ;  the  man  who  has  charge  of  the  water 
works  turns  a  crank,  a  stream  of  water  gushes  from 
the  figure,  raising  thereby  the  crown  into  the  air  to  the 
distance  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet.  In  another  grotto, 
water  gushes  from  the  floor,  the  roof,  the  sides  ;  in 
fact  we  scarcely  had  time  to  step  from  one  place,  before 
a  stream  of  water  started  up  from  below  our  very  feet. 
In  still  another  place  there  was  a  table  with  seats 
ranged  round  it.  The  visitor  is  invited  to  take  a  seat, 
but  woe  be  to  him  if  he  accepts  the  invitation,  for  water 


212  LETTERS. 

darts  up  through  apertures  in  the  seats,  and  this  might 
not  be  agreeable  on  a  cold  day.  But  most  of  all  was  I 
interested  and  amused  with  a  series  of  figures  repre- 
senting the  different  trades  and  occupations  of  men. 
Before  a  large  temple  stood  soldiers  on  duty,  and  around 
the  temple  were  shoemakers,  masons,  carpenters,  <fec., 
each  at  work  at  their  respective  trades,  while  a  number 
of  peasants  were  dancing.  By  the  action  of  water 
each  of  these  figures  is  put  in  motion ;  the  soldiers 
walk  back  and  forth  on  their  post,  and  each  one  works 
as  busily  at  his  trade,  as  though  he  was  impelled  by 
animal  life,  instead  of  machinery.  I  was  particularly 
amused  with  a  scene  in  a  field,  where  a  man  is  whet- 
ting his  scythe,  while  a  woman  turns  the  grind  stone. 
I  did  not  count  them,  but  I  should  think  there  must 
have  been  more  than  two  hundred  figures  in  that  small 
space.  We  could  not  help  saying  to  each  other,  "  how 

much  amused  the children  would  have  been  here." 

Leaving  the  grounds  of  Hollbrunn,  we  came  along  a 
wide  road,  shaded  by  large  trees,  and  bordered  by 
meadows  enamelled  with  flowers,  which  filled  the  air 
with  their  delicious  odors.  The  last  part  of  the  road 
runs  along  by  the  Salza,  and  this  forms  one  of  the 
favorite  promenades  and  rides  of  the  citizens  of  Salz- 
burg. And- 1  must  confess  no  one  feature  of  German 
cities  and  towns  pleases  me  more  than  this,  the  pains 
that  are  every  where  taken  to  have  public  gardens  and 
promenades,  where  the  people  can  enjoy  the  fresh  air, 
and  see  the  beauties  of  nature  besides,  and  I  can't 
help  sighing  when  I  think  how  long  it  will  probably  be 
before  my  countrymen  will  be  ready  to  follow  this  Eu- 
ropean custom.  And  yet,  has  not  every  city  in  the 
United  States  some  favored  spot,  which,  by  a  little  ex- 


LETTERS.  213 

pense,  might  be  converted  into  a  park,  that  would  serve 
as  a  public  promenade.  In  answer  to  this  I  may  be 
told  "  there  are  already  squares,  and  parks,  and  com- 
mons in  almost  every  city,  but  they  are  rarely  used  ex- 
cept by  poor  people,  or  nurses  and  children."  And 
why  are  they  not  used  by  the  higher  classes  of  our  citi- 
zens ?  Simply  because  it  is  not  fashionable,  and  because 
our  fine  ladies  do  not  care  enough  for  the  rules  of  life 
and  health,  to  seek  the  open  air  oftener  than  is  neces- 
sary. But  if  I  once  launch  out  on  this  theme,  I  shall 
not  know  where  to  stop. 

In  this  part  of  the  world  we  have  met  with  the  first 
specimen  of  bed  clothes,  peculiar,  I  believe,  to  Germa- 
ny. This  consists  of  a  light,  puffy  sort  of  feather  bed, 
which  is  laid  outside  the  sheet  or  counterpane,  and  is, 
I  must  say,  a  most  uncomfortable  piece  of  bed  furni- 
ture, for  if  I  have  it  over  me,  or  rather  on  me,  I  am 
half  suffocated,  and  if  I  throw  it  off,  I  am  almost  fro- 
zen, the  nights  being  quite  cold. 

There,  I  am  too  tired  to  add  another  word,  except  to 
say  "  good  night." 


LETTER    LXIX. 

Leaving  Salzburg. — Grand  Scenery. — Cheap  Traveling. — Innsbruck. — 
Sight-seeing. — Cathedral. — Monument  to  Hofer. — Tomb  of  Maximil- 
ian I. — Ambras  Chateau. 

INNSBRUCK,  Sept.  6th. 
MY  DEAR  FRIENDS  : 

On  Monday  morning  we  left  Salzburg  in  a  different 
carriage  from  the  one  we  had  from  Ischl,  for  which  we 


214  LETTERS. 

agreed  to  pay  thirty-five  florins,  the  driver  to  furnish 
us  with  three  horses  for  the  whole  distance,  to  provide 
for  himself  and  his  horses,  and  to  pay  tolls,  &c.,  on  the 
way.  In  addition  to  this,  if  he  performed  his  part 
well,  we  were  to  pay  him  on  arriving  here,  four  florins 
"  drink  money,"  the  German  "  buksheesh." 

Just  as  we  were  leaving  the  town,  the  "valet  de 
place"  we  had  on  Saturday,  came  up  to  the  carriage  to 
wish  us  "  a  good  journey,"  and  to  bring  me  a  beautiful 
boquet,  an  offering  delicately  made,  so  evidently  done 
without  an  expectation  of  any  thing  in  return. 

We  rode  that  day,  from  quarter  to  seven  in  the  morn- 
ing, till  eight  in  the  evening,  the  distance  from  Salz- 
burg here,  being  one  hundred  and  ten  miles,  to  be  per- 
formed in  two  days  with  the  same  horses.  We  stopped 
to  breakfast  and  dine,  each  time  the  horses  being  well 
cared  for,  so  that  we  jogged  on  quite  comfortably. 

The  scenery  was  grand  ;  mountains,  and  vales,  and 
running  streams,  and  well  cultivated  fields,  and  roman- 
tic passes,  and  dark  precipitous  gorges,  and  here  and 
there  a  gleam  of  snow,  made  the  ride  one  of  ever  vary- 
ing charm  and  interest.  How  like  Switzerland  it 
seemed !  Houses,  with  projecting  eaves  and  galleries 
around  the  upper  story,  and  immense  piles  of  wood 
near  by,  ready  cut  for  the  long  winter's  use,  all  remind- 
ed me  of  my  former  journey  in  that  beautiful  country. 
Almost  every  house  had  a  bell  on  top,  and  heavy  stones 
along  the  roof,  for  what  purpose  it  puzzled  us  not  a  lit- 
tle to  account,  though  we  "  guessed"  they  were  to 
keep  the  roof  from  blowing  off  when  the  high  winds 
prevail. 

Sometimes  the  mountains  were  masses  of  rock,  look- 
ing desolate  and  grand,  at  others  they  were  thickly  cov- 


LETTERS.  215 

ered  with  trees,  through  which  the  sun  seemed  to  pen- 
etrate with  difficulty.  At  times  the  valley  was  but  a 
narrow  strip  of  meadow  land,  and  then  it  would  grad- 
ually enlarge,  till  it  swelled  out  into  quite  an  extensive 
plain.  Rustic  fences  or  hedges  separated  the  fields, 
which  were  cultivated  to  their  utmost  extent.  We  saw 
but  few  fruit  trees,  and  those  did  not  seem  to  be  over- 
burdened with  fruit. 

Quite  as  pretty  a  sight  as  any,  was  to  see  the  houses 
peeping  ever  and  anon  from  up  the  mountain  side,  and 
the  village  church,  with  its  graceful  spire,  and  surround- 
ing circle  of  cross-crowned  hillocks.  The  sunset  was 
magnificent,  and  the  night  came  on  with  its  bright  stars 
and  fair  moon,  and  the  mountains  looked  like  majestic 
sentinels,  keeping  watch  over  the  sleeping  vale  below. 

That  night  we  stayed  at  a  very  nice  inn,  where  our 
sleeping  accommodations  were  remarkably  good.  After 
we  arrived,  we  had  a  supper  of  fried  fish,  and  bread  and 
butter,  with  the  addition  of  tea  for  J.,  coffee  for  the 
other  gentlemen,  and  a  glass  of  beer  for  myself,  and 
Tuesday  morning,  our  two  friends  had  coffee,  and  we 
all  had  bread  and  butter,  and  for  all  this,  supper,  rooms, 
good  beds,  candles,  and  a  light  breakfast,  we  paid  but 
ninety  cents,  for  four  persons !  Travelling  would  be 
cheap,  if  all  expenses  could  be  as  moderate  as  these. 

Yesterday  we  rode  from  before  seven  in  the  morning 
till  after  nine  in  the  evening,  through  a  lovely  country, 
rich  and  grand.  But  I  can  say  nothing  more  about  it, 
for  I  have  utterly  exhausted  my  vocabulary  of  words, 
expressive  of  admiration  of  these  mountain  scenes.  A 
great  part  of  the  day  our  road  lay  along  side  of  a  river, 
which  ran  by  with  a  rapid  current,  at  times  dashing 
over  rocks,  so  as  to  form  quite  a  waterfall.  Once  we 


216  LETTERS. 

• 

caught  sight  of  distant  glaciers,  three  distinct  peaks 
being  covered  with  "  seas  of  ice." 

We  are  in  excellent  quarters  here,  at  Hotel  Maulick, 
and  find  Innsbruck  a  charming  spot,  so  embosomed 
among  the  mountains,  that  every  time  I  go  out,  I  think 
a  dark  cloud  is  coming  up,  whereas  it  is  a  mountain 
towering  above  us.  The  river  Inn  runs  through  the 
town>  and  the  name  Innsbruck  means,  I  believe,  "  bridge 
over  the  Inn." 

This  day  we  have  devoted  to  sight-seeing,  walking 
about  the  streets,  some  of  which  are  exceedingly  hand- 
some, darting  into  churches,  rushing  into  shops  to  look 
at  specimens  of  wood  carvings,  sauntering  through 
lovely  gardens,  and  visiting  the  museum,  rich  in  Tyrol- 
ese  articles.  The  charm  of  the  country  about  Inns- 
bruck, to  me,  is  its  association  with  the  deeds  of  the 
noble  Hofer,  leader  of  the  Tyrolese  peasantry  in  the 
war  of  1809.  One  of  the  most  fascinating  chapters  in 
Alison's  History  of  the  French  Revolution,  treats  of  the 
daring  of  Hofer  and  his  followers,  and  as  you  can  read 
it  much  easier  than  I  can  give  you  an  account  of  my 
hero,  I  must  refer  you  to  that  for  the  present.  In  the 
cathedral  here,  there  ^  a  monument  to  Hofer,  on  which 
he  is  represented  in  his  Tyrolese  dress,  and  in  the  mu- 
seum there  is  a  splendid  specimen  of  wood  carving, 
showing  him  and  a  few  of  his  chosen  followers  taking 
the  oath  to  live  and  die  for  the  liberty  of  their  father- 
land. Here,  too,  we  saw  other  memorials  of  the  peas- 
ant hero,  his  sword  and  rifle,  and  coat,  and  the  last 
letter  he  wrote. 

Beside  these  interesting  relics,  we  saw  a  fine  collec- 
tion of  Tyrolese  manufactures,  among  which,  in  my 
•eyes,  wood  carvings  shone  conspicuously.  There  is  also 


LETTERS.  217 

an  excellent  collection  of  minerals  found  in  the  Tyrol, 
and  a  good  cabinet  of  stuffed  birds. 

In  the  church  where  Hofer's  monument  is,  there  is  a 
superb  tomb  of  Maximilian  I.,  having,  on  the  outside 
of  it,  twenty-four  compartments,  each  one  representing, 
in  bas-relief  of  white  marble,  some  scene  in  his  life. 
The  sculpture  is  admirably  done,  each  face  being  carved 
with  as  minute  and  perfect  accuracy  as  if  it  had  been 
designed  for  a  cameo.  I  never  saw  any  thing  more 
beautifully  done,  even  among  the  exquisite  gems  of 
Italy.  The  artist  was  Alexander  Colin  of  Mechlin. 

After  a  capital  dinner,  we  drove  out  to  the  Ambras 
chateau,  where  is  a  fine  collection  of  ancient  armor  and 
warlike  implements,  rare  old  cabinets,  and  relics  of 
Philippina  Welser,  Archduchess  of  Austria,  but  the 
most  interesting  sight  of  all,  was  the  splendid  view  from 
the  roof  of  the  chateau.  The  mountains  around,  down 
one  of  which  a  waterfall  was  dashing,  the  beautiful 
meadows,  darkened  here  and  there  by  clumps  of  trees, 
the  handsome  town  with  its  sparkling  river,  the  lights 
and  shades  thrown  over  the  whole  landscape,  all  formed 
as  exquisite  a  picture  as  I  ever  saw.  Again  I  said,  "  I 
should  like  to  spend  weeks  here." 

We  drove  home  another  way,  to  see  the  scene  of  one 
of  Hofer's  hard-fought  battles,  and  as  we  stopped,  in 
the  deepening  twilight,  and  looked  up  the  mountain 
gorge  he  so  bravely  defended,  my  heart  swelled  with 
enthusiasm  at  the  recollection  of  the  strong-souled  hero, 
whose  life  was  given  to  his  country  and  his  God. 

As  we  came  farther  down  into  the  valley,  the  bell  of 
a  village  church  rang  merrily  out,  and  its  sound  was  borne 
on  the  air,  kindling  a  dozen  mimic  echoes  in  the  hills 
around.  Dark  and  mysterious  the  mountains  looked, 


218  LETTEKS. 

girding  us  about,  like  a  huge  wall,  and  far  up  in  a  deep 
gorge,  the  pale  snow  gleamed  out  like  a  ghost,  from  the 
dark  scene.  I  leaned  back  in  the  carriage  and  gave 
myself  up  to  thoughts  in  consonance  with  the  hour  and 
the  place.  It  is  no  wonder  a  country  like  this  should 
have  inspired  such  enthusiastic  love  in  the  hearts  of  her 
children,  and  that  they  should  have  braved  all  dangers, 
and  been  willing  to  shed  the  last  drop  of  their  blood,  to 
save  their  cherished  fatherland  from  the  hands  of  their 
enemies. 

I  have  written  this  letter  at  intervals  during  the  day, 
and  that  must  be  my  apology  for  the  rambling  and  dis- 
connected manner  of  it.  While  the  gentlemen  of  the 
party  have  been  making  arrangements,  and  settling 
bargains  with  our  coachman  to  take  us  to  Munich,  I 
have  been  able  to  scribble  away,  only  stopping  to  give 
my  advice  when  asked,  or  occasionally  to  proffer  it, 
woman-like,  when  it  was  not  needed. 

You  must  not  think  Innsbruck  presents  no  more 
objects  of  interest  and  beauty  than  those  I  have  men- 
tioned, for  as  I  told  you  before,  I  have  neither  time  nor 
space,  without  swelling  out  this  Budget  to  an  unreada- 
ble and  unbuyable  rate,  to  dwell  as  minutely  on  the 
scenes  I  visit  now,  as  I  did  on  those  of  the  East,  not 
only  because  that  country  inspired  me  with  more  heart- 
felt interest,  but  also  because  it  is  less  known  to  the 
generality  of  readers  at  home,  and  I  might  also  add, 
because  it  has  seldom  been  so  thoroughly  visited  by  an 
American  woman.  I  therefore  am  compelled  to  pass 
lightly  over  many  things  which  have  interested  me,  and 
I  doubt  not  would  interest  some  others  also,  as  every 
country  has  its  own  particular  admirers. 


LETTERS.  219 

And  now  I  will  release  you  for  the  present,  and  you 
and  I  both  can  pause  to  take  breath. 


LETTER    LXX. 

Mountainous  Scenes.  —  Achensee.  —  Kreuth.  —  Tegernsee.  — "Munich. — 
House  of  Lola  Monies. — St.  Michael's  Church. — Pinacotheque. — Crys- 
tal Palace. — Royal  Palace. 

MUNICH,  Sept.  9th. 
Mr  DEAREST  S. : 

Our  mountain  journey  is  over,  to  my  great  regret,  for 
I  should  have  liked  it  to  last  much  longer.  "We  devoted 
as  much  time  to  the  Tyrol  as  we  thought  we  could  spare, 
considering  the  short  period  that  is  allowed  us  for  the 
rest  of  Germany,  to  say  nothing  of  wishing  to  take  a 
peep  at  Holland  and  Belgium,  for  we  have  now  decided 
to  sail  from  Liverpool  for  Boston  nine  weeks  from  to-day, 
and  in  eleven  we  may  hope,  if  prospered  in  our  journey 
on  land,  and  our  voyage  on  the  sea,  to  behold  your  dear 
faces  once  more.  I  scarcely  dare  think  of  it,  for  fear 
something  might  occur  to  mar  our  happiness.  Much 
as  I  have  enjoyed  this  journey,  delighted  as  I  have  been 
with  all  I  have  seen,  I  can  assure  you  that  I  shall  be  glad 
when  the  hour  comes  for  us  to  embark  on  the  sea,  for 
then  I  shall  feel  our  faces  are  really  turned  homeward. 
But  I  can  dwell  on  this  no  longer,  so  must  hasten  to 
other  themes. 

We  left  Innsbruck  Thursday  morning,  before  six 
o'clock,  and  rode  till  after  eight  in  the  evening.  For 
two  or  three  hours  we  retraced  the  journey  of  Tuesday, 
going  along  the  river  Inn,  which  we  crossed  by  a  mag- 
nificent suspension  bridge.  The  morning  was  charming, 


220  LETTERS. 

the  mists  rolling  in  fantastic  forms  from  the  summits  of 
the  mountains,  disclosing  glens  and  valleys  of  surpass- 
ing beauty.  The  road  was  full  of  peasant  women,  going 
into  town  with  the  productions  of  the  fields  and  gardens, 
some  dragging  along  little  wagons  filled  with  vegetables, 
others  having  strapped  on  their  backs  large  baskets  or 
tubs,  loaded  with  fruits  and  garden  produce.  Most  of 
them  wore  no  other  covering  on  the  head  than  a  black 
silk  handkerchief,  twisted  around  the  head,  and  tied 
behind  in  a  neat  bow,  the  ends  hanging  down  on  the  back. 
We  stopped  to  breakfast  at  Schwatz,  at  an  inn  kept 
by  one  of  the  Rainer  family,  who,  perhaps  you  may 
remember,  were  in  the  United  States  several  years  ago, 
giving  concerts.  After  leaving  Schwatz  the  valley  nar- 
rowed till  it  became  a  mere  strip  of  meadow  land,  and 
a  little  while  after  we  came  into  scenery  of  the  wildest " 
kind,  mountains  towering  above  us,  no  longer  green, 
but  bare  and  rocky,  while  the  villages  were  very  few 
and  far  between,  and  the  houses  scattering.  And  then 
we  began  an  ascent,  which  lasted  for  more  than  an 
hour,  the  gentlemen  walking  ahead,  and  leaving  me  in 
undisputed  possession  of  the  whole  carriage.  The 
scene  was  almost  fearfully  grand  and  majestic,  and 
when  shortly  after,  mountains  covered  with  dark  for- 
ests, were  mingled  with  those  of  granite,  the  striking 
contrast  added  new  interest  to  the  scene.  On  our  left 
was  a  brawling  mountain  torrent,  which  leaped  and 
rushed  over  the  rocks,  mingling  the  noise  of  its  waters 
with  "  the  soft  and  soul  like  sound"  of  the  forests  of 
pine.  Up  and  still  up  we  went,  the  horses  puffing  and 
blowing,  and  the  driver  cheering  them  on,  walking  by 
their  side,  and  allowing  them  to  stop  every  few  minutes 
to  get  a  little  rest. 


LETTERS.  221 

At  last  the  ascent  was  gained,  and  then  the  country 
became  less  wild  and  more  cultivated.  Soon  we  came 
in  sight  of  the  small  lake  called  Achensee,  along  the 
whole  length  of  which,,  a  distance  of  six  miles,  the  road 
ran,  being  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock,  the  mountain  tow- 
ering far  over  our  heads.  Across  the  lake,  other  moun- 
tains reared  themselves,  the  whole  scene  forming  a  pic- 
ture of  sublimity  and  grandeur. 

After  we  left  this  lake,  we  came  again  into  wild 
scenes,  dark  forests  of  fir,  being  occasionally  varied  by 
a  field  of  corn,  or  a  meadow  covered  with  long  green 
grass,  ready  for  the  mower.  Although  we  crossed  the 
Bavarian  frontier,  no  one  came  to  examine  our  luggage, 
and  we  went  on  in  the  coming  darkness,  till  all  at  once 
we  were  aware  the  scene  was  changed,  for  we  seemed 
to  be  in  a  lovely  valley,  surrounded  by  gentle  hills 
instead  of  lofty  mountains.  At  a  sudden  turn  we 
found  ourselves  in  front  of  a  large  hotel,  and  our  driv- 
er informed  us  we  had  arrived  at  Kreuth.  It  was  too 
late  to  walk  out,  or  rather  too  early,  as  the  moon  was 
not  up,  and  as  I  was  very  tired,  I  was  glad  to  go  imme- 
diately to  bed. 

Yesterday  morning  opened  dark  and  stormy,  and  we 
were  obliged  to  have  the  carriage  well  shut  up,  so  I 
saw  but  little  of  Kreuth.  It  lies  in  a  beautiful  valley, 
surrounded  by  high  green  mountains,  and  is  one  of  the 
principal  watering  places  in  Bavaria,  having  celebrated 
mineral  springs,  which  make  it  a  great  place  of  resort 
every  summer,  the  royal  family  setting  the  example. 
The  walks  through  the  beautiful  valley,  and  along  the 
mountain  paths,  are  said  to  be  exceedingly  fine,  but  I 
was  obliged  to  take  this  upon  trust,  it  being  too  wet  for 
me  to  walk  far.  The  situation  of  our  hotel,  and  of 


222  LETTERS. 

the  bath  rooms  is  very  good,  opening  upon  a  lawn  cov- 
ered with  velvet  like  grass,  and  commanding  fine  views 
of  the  surrounding  mountains.  We  went  into  the 
"  pump  room"  where  visitors  assembled  in  the  morn- 
ing to  drink  the  water,  which  I  was  not  tempted  to 
taste. 

Soon  after  leaving  Kreuth,  the  valley  opened  wider 
and  wider,  till  at  last  the  mountains  were  almost  en- 
tirely behind  us,  and  in  front  extended  one  immense 
plain.  Before  we  quite  left  the  mountains  we  came  in 
sight  of  the  Tegernsee,  a  lake  about  ten  miles  long,  on 
the  borders  of  which  the  king  of  Bavaria  has  a  pal- 
ace, and  many  of  the  nobility,  country  seats.  We 
drove  by  pleasant  grounds,  adorned  with  flowers,  and 
fine  trees,  and  handsome  houses,  the  lake,  with  its  shin- 
ing waters,  and  the  distant  mountains,  adding  beauty 
to  the  scene. 

The  remainder  of  our  way  lay  across  a  plain,  some- 
times covered  with  forests,  sometimes  fertile  in  grain 
and  vegetables.  In  the  midst  of  this  vast  plain,  watered 
by  the  "  Iser  rolling  rapidly,"  lies  Munich,  one  of  the 
finest  cities  of  Europe,  containing  about  one  hundred 
and  ten  thousand  inhabitants.  We  are  at  the  Hotel 
Manlick,  where  we  have  every  thing  nice  and  clean. 
At  present  Munich  is  quite  deserted  by  strangers,  the 
cholera  having  been  severe  in  its  ravages  here,  more 
than  two  thousand  dying  of  the  fell  disease. 

Last  evening  we  took  a  long  walk  through  the  streets 
of  the  city,  but  very  few  people  seemed  stirring,  and 
almost  all  the  shops  were  closed.  Some  of  the  streets 
were  lined  with  imposing  edifices,  but  the  great  diffi- 
culty with  this  city  is  that  its  public  buildings  are  scat- 
tered over  so  large  a  space,  half  their  effect  is  lost. 


LETTERS.  223 

Munich  has  the  title  of  being  the  greatest  city  of  mod- 
ern art  in  Europe,  having  been  greatly  embellished 
under  the  reign  of  king  Louis,  who  abdicated  in  1848 
in  favor  of  his  son  Maximilian.  Under  his  patronage 
the  arts  flourished,  public  buildings  were  erected,  and 
galleries  of  painting  and  sculpture  opened.  m  Such  an 
impetus  was  given  to  the  fine  arts,  that  at  one  time 
nearly  eight  hundred  artists  were  residing  here.  Louis 
had  but  limited  resources  at  his  command,  but  these  he 
used  with  the  utmost  ability,  and  in  addition  defrayed 
the  entire  expenses  of  several  of  the  piiblic  buildings 
from  his  own  privy  purse.  True,  it  is  sometimes  said, 
he  impoverished  somewhat  the  rest  of  his  dominions  to 
build  up  the  capital,  and  make  it,  what  it  is  universally 
admitted  to  be,  one  of  the  handsomest  cities  in  Europe. 

It  was  at  the  court  of  this  Louis  that  the  famous,  or 
rather  infamous  Lola  Montez  flourished  for  a  while, 
and  in  walking  through  one  of  the  streets  to-day,  we 
were  shown  the  house  where  she  once  lived. 

This  morning,  under  the  direction  of  a  good  "  do- 
mestique  de  place,"  we  commenced  the  arduous  duties 
of  sight-seeing.  There  are  so  many  objects  of  interest 
here,  that  a  fortnight  would  scarce  suffice  to  see  them 
thoroughly,  if  one  wished  to  see  every  thing.  We 
want  to  see  only  the  very  best,  so  we  select  such  things 
as  would  please  us  most,  and  devote  what  time  we  have 
to  those.  We  have  seen  so  many  picture  galleries,  and 
museums,  and  cabinets  of  antiquities,  and  magnificent 
churches,  that  really  we  do  not  care  to  see  many  more, 
except  as  far  as  they  illustrate  the  character  of  some 
particular  country,  or  have  special  reference  to  histor- 
ical events  and  personages. 

Our  first  pause  was  to  look  at  St.  Michael's  church, 


224  LETTERS. 

which  is  remarkable  for  its  great  length,  unbroken  by 
any  pillars  to  support  the  roof,  being  nearly  three  hun- 
dred feet  long.  But  it  was  not  this  that  attracted  us 
there,  but  the  monument  to  Eugene  Beauharnais,  duke 
of  Leuchtenberg,  by  Thorwaldsen,  consisting  of  a  statue 
of  Beauharnais,  (said  to  be  a  capital  likeness)  by  whose 
side  sits  the  historic  muse  penning  his  deeds  and  his 
virtues.  The  figures  are  capitally  done,  and  worthy 
of  the  great  Danish  sculptor. 

Next  we  went  to  the  new  Pinacotheque,  a  long  dis- 
tance off,  for  as  I  said  before,  the  public  buildings  of 
Munich  extend  over  much  ground.  At  first  we  went 
through  fine  streets,  every  house  worthy  to  be  called  a 
palace,  and  then  the  houses  became  "  few  and  far  be- 
tween," while  the  unpaved  streets  lined  with  trees, 
seemed  more  like  some  country  town,  than  a  part  of  a 
great  city.  "We  passed  on  the  way  fountains  and  mon- 
uments and  statues,  all  perfect  specimens  of  art. 

The  Pinacotheque  contains  a  collection  of  modern 
paintings  of  the  German,  Bavarian  and  Dutch  schools, 
in  which  we  were  much  interested ;  and  for  one,  I 
must  confess,  I  did  not  know  the  modern  school  of 
painting  had  been  brought  to  such  perfection,  for  really 
we  saw  some  magnificent  pictures  in  the  gallery. 
Among  many  excellent  ones,  I  must  be  allowed  to  par- 
ticularize three,  as  eminent  for  expression  and  beauty 
of  coloring,  and  these  were  a  vivid  picture  of  the  Del- 
uge, a  peasant  girl  of  Albano,  and  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem. 

To  get  a  good  idea  of  the  present  manufactures  of 
this  country,  we  went  into  the  Crystal  Palace,  lately 
opened  for  an  exhibition  of  the  productions  and  manu- 
factures of  Germany  alone.  The  price  of  admission 


LETTERS.  225 

was  exceedingly  low,  being  only  about  eight  cents  of 
our  money,  but  even  at  this  low  price  the  visitors  were 
exceedingly  few,  for  the  cholera  has  not  only  kept  off 
foreigners  and  strangers,  but  also  frightened  away 
many  of  the  citizens  of  Munich.  More  than  four  hun- 
dred policemen  are  on  constant  duty  there,  and  I  should 
think  the  receipts  could  not  begin  to  equal  the  expendi- 
ture, so  that  altogether  it  must  prove  a  losing  concern 
to  those  who  got  it  up. 

We  found  a  great  many  things  there  to  interest  us,  the 
gentlemen  particularly  admiring  the  machinery,  fire- 
engines,  carriages,  <fec.,  while  I  looked,  with  eyes  of 
wonder,  on  the  beautiful  porcelain  and  glass  ware,  the 
rich  furniture,  silks,  embroideries,  shawls,  linens, 
gloves,  muslins,  and  a  thousand  et  ceteras,  all  the  pro- 
ductions of  German  manufactures  alone.  We  spent 
more  than  four  hours  in  wandering  about  the  different 
parts,  and  then  we  went  to  the  Royal  Palace,  where  we 
walked  through  a  score  of  rooms,  attended  by  a  guide 
who  could  not  speak  a  word  of  English,  and  only  two 
or  three  of  French,  so  I  came  out  but  little  wiser  than 
I  went  in.  I  noted  down  a  few  things  that  specially 
interested  me,  and  here  they  are  for  your  benefit. 

The  ball  room,  adorned  with  paintings  in  fresco,  cop- 
ied from  Pompeiian  pictures,  an  immense  room  with 
chandeliers  and  candelabras  capable  of  containing  one 
thousand  wax  candles ;  the  "  halls  of  beauty,"  so 
called  because  they  are  filled  with  portraits  of  beauti- 
ful women,  all  Bavarian,  among  which  are  some  of  the 
loveliest  faces  I  ever  saw,  and  I  was  not  a  little  anxious 
to  find  out  who  they  were,  for  I  felt  somewhat  suspi- 
cious when  I  found  Lola  Montez  was  among  them,  but 
all  I  could  extract  from  our  guide  was,  that  they  were 
15 


226  LETTERS. 

portraits  of  persons  living,  at  the  time  they  were  taken, 
in  Munich,  and  put  there  for  their  beauty.  Next  came 
a  large  room,  with  fourteen  immense  pictures  of  battle 
scenes,  and  beyond  this  were  other  rooms,  with  paint- 
ings illustrative  of  events  in  the  lives  of  Charlemagne, 
Frederick  Barbarossa,  and  Rudolph  of  Hapsburg.  The 
throne  room  was  very  fine,  having  chairs  of  state  for 
the  king  and  queen  of  red  velvet  embroidered  with 
gold,  under  a  canopy  of  the  same.  On  either  side  of 
the  room  are  statues  in  bronze  gilt  of  the  Wittelsbach 
family,  the  line  of  Bavarian  sovereigns.  The  floors  of 
these  rooms  were  of  polished  woods,  arranged  in  mosa- 
ics of  different  forms. 

By  the  time  we  had  made  the  rounds  of  the  palace 
it  was  half  past  five,  and  we  were  quite  ready  for  our 
dinner,  I  can  assure  you.  As  I  was  rather  tired  this 
evening,  and  as  there  was  nothing  particular  to  see,  I 
declined  accompanying  the  gentlemen  on  their  even- 
ing promenade,  and  have  spent  the  time  as  pleasantly, 
and  I  hope,  as  profitably,  in  writing  to  you. 

The  remainder  of  my  observations  on  Munich  you 
shall  have  in  another  letter. 


LETTERS.  227 


LETTER    LXXI. 

Expense  of  Travel. — Romish  Churches. — Public  Garden. — Parks. — Mu- 
seum.— Eoyal  Library. — Ancient  Pinacothek. — Glyptothek. — Church 
of  St.  Boniface. — Bavarian  Hall  of  Fame. — Ludwig  Schwanthaler. — 
Statue  of  Bavaria. — English  Garden. 

•  MUNICH,  Sept.  12th. 

MY  DEAR  FRIENDS  : 

Notwithstanding  my  uneasiness  at  Beyrout,  when  I 
thought  our  luggage  was  lost,  and  my  firm  determina- 
tion not  to  part  with  it  again,  I  have  been  tempted  to 
break  my  resolution,  and  to  consent  to  send  to  Paris 
every  thing  for  which  we  have  no  immediate  need. 
The  expense  of  traveling  with  much  luggage  in  Ger- 
many is  very  great  indeed,  for  on  many  of  the  railroads 
only  a  few  pounds  are  allowed  each  traveler,  and  on 
others  none  at  all,  so  that  all  must  be  paid  for  by 
weight,  which  often  makes  the  luggage  cost  more  than 
the  ticket  for  the  traveler.  There  is  a  government 
agent  here,  who  takes  charge  of  packages  to  Paris,  and 
who  promises  to  keep  them  safely  till  they  are  called 
for,  and  to  him  we  have  entrusted  our  large  trunk,  a 
box  of  minerals  we  bought  in  the  Tyrol,  and  the  bun- 
dle of  canes  cut  from  holy  mountains  and  from  memora- 
ble spots.  Now  we  have  one  small  trunk,  two  carpet  bags, 
(one  of  which  contains  my  important  journal,)  my 
writing  desk,  two  cloaks  and  a  great  coat,  an  umbrella 
and  a  parasol,  and  a  bag  I  always  carry  on  my  arm, 
containing  guide-books,  note-book,  toilet  apparatus, 
&c. ;  few  articles  compared  with  those  some  travelers 


228  LETTERS. 

are  burdened  with,  and  many  compared  with  what 
others  carry. 

Amid  all  the  confusion  of  selecting  and  laying  aside 
articles  for  use  and  those  that  may  be  dispensed  with 
for  several  weeks  to  come,  and  the  noise  caused  by  a 
man  hammering  away  while  he  adds  a  strap  here  and  a 
few  nails  there,  to  repair  the  ravages  made  by  careless 
porters  and  reckless  coachmen,  I  have  taken  out  my 
pen  and  paper  to  continue  my  account  of  Munich,  at 
such  intervals  of  leisure  as  will, fall  to  my  lot,  when  at 
times  for  a  moment  or  so,  there  will  be  nothing  I  can 
do  towards  bringing  the  labors  of  packing  to  an  end. 

And  with  this  long  exordium,  I  will  take  up  now  the 
thread  of  my  narrative,  broken  off  last  Saturday  even- 
ing. Not  having  had  the  privilege  of  attending  church 
since  we  left  Athens,  we  had  looked  forward  with  great 
pleasure  to  our  Sunday  here,  knowing  there  was  a  chap- 
lain attached  to  the  English  embassy,  who  regularly 
performed  divine  service  every  Sunday.  Judge  then 
of  our  disappointment,  when  we  found  the  English  am- 
bassador was  out  of  the  city,  and  that  his  chaplain  had 
accompanied  him.  So  there  was  no  church  for  us  last 
Sunday.  To  compensate  in  a  measure  for  this  disap- 
pointment, we  were  told  there  would  be  fine  music  in 
two  of  the  Romish  churches,  in  one  at  ten  o'clock,  and 
in  the  other  at  eleven.  So  at  the  appointed  time  we  went, 
first  to  one,  and  then  to  the  other,  but  were  disappointed 
at  both  places,  for  at  the  first  church  we  heard  mass,  and 
in  the  second  a  sermon  a  half  hour  long,  interesting  no 
doubt  for  those  who  understood  it,  but  for  those  who 
knew  not  a  word  of  what  the  preacher  was  saying,  it 
was  what  I  call  "  tough."  At  the  last  church,  there 
were  present  several  thousand  soldiers,  who  stood  dur- 


LETTERS.  229 

ing  the  whole  sermon.  The  congregation  seemed  de- 
vout and  attentive.  Many  of  the  women  had  on  cu- 
rious head-dresses,  little  caps  of  satin  or  gold  thread, 
set  very  jauntily  on  the  back  of  the  head,  while  others 
wore  an  odd  shaped  cap  of  black  silk,  with  immense 
"  streamers"  of  ribbon  of  the  same  color  behind. 

At  this  hotel  there  is  a  "  table  d'hote"  at  one  o'clock, 
but  that  is  rather  an  inconvenient  hour  for  us,  coming 
thus  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  so  since  Saturday,  we 
have  dined  at  four.  After  dinner  on  Sunday,  we  went 
out  for  a  walk  in  the  gardens  beyond  the  city.  One 
small  garden  has  an  arcade,  or  colonnade,  running 
around  three  sides  of  it,  and  the  walls  are  painted  in 
frescoes  illustrative  of  events  in  Bavarian  history.  In- 
terspersed with  these  are  views  of  some  of  the  cele- 
brated cities  of  Italy  and  Greece.  Is  not  this  a  capital 
method  of  teaching  the  Bavarian  children  the  noble 
deeds  of  their  ancestors,  and  of  giving  them  a  glimpse, 
at  the  same  time,  of  other  parts  of  the  world  ?  Beyond 
this  garden  lies  a  park,  several  miles  in  length,  beauti- 
fully laid  out  with  winding  paths,  and  avenues,  and 
clumps  of  trees,  mingled  with  green  lawns  and  beauti- 
ful meadows,  watered  by  the  river  Iser.  Here  and 
there  are  statues,  and  on  a  gentle  knoll,  a  pretty  circu- 
lar temple,  from  which  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  park 
around,  and  the  spires  and  roofs  of  the  city.  Groups 
of  people  in  their  holiday  attire  were  in  the  gardens 
and  the  streets,  and  there  was  nothing  to  show  that  a 
grievous  pestilence  was  brooding  over  the  city. 

Yesterday  we  were  out  all  day,  running  here  and 
there,  till  I  was  thoroughly  wearied  out  with  sights 
and  sounds.  First,  we  went  to  the  Royal  Palace, 
where  we  were  on  Saturday,  an  immense  building,  sur- 


230  LETTERS. 

rounding  two  or  three  courts,  but  we  went  only  to  see 
the  chapel,  which  after  all  we  did  not  see  to  good  ad- 
vantage, as  staging  was  up  for  repairing  the  ceiling. 
There  is  another  chapel  called  "  the  rich  chapel,"  from 
the  rare  marble  that  adorns  its  walls,  but  from  some 
cause  or  other,  we  could  not  procure  access  to  it. 

Through  an  interminable  maze  of  courts,  passages 
and  stairways,  we  arrived  at  a  museum  or  "  royal  col- 
lection of  antiquities,"  where,  amid  a  vast  number  of 
things,  more  or  less  interesting  according  to  the  places 
they  came  from,  or  their  historical  associations,  I  shall 
merely  mention  some  beautiful  specimens  of  carvings 
in  ivory,  the  pen  with  which  king  Louis  signed  his  ab- 
dication of  the  throne,  March  21st,  1848,  a  plain  deal 
table  once  belonging  to  Schiller,  two  of  his  pens,  and  a 
lock  of  his  hair. 

Once  more  we  were  in  the  street,  and  passing  palace 
after  palace,  and  noble  statues  and  fine  monuments,  we 
reached  the  Royal  Library,  a  princely  building,  in  a 
street  of  palaces.  Truly  may  Munich  be  called  "  one 
of  the  finest  cities  of  Europe."  The  entrance  to  the 
library  is  by  a  magnificent  staircase,  lined  with  marbles 
and  adorned  with  statues  of  its  founder  and  its  munifi- 
cent patron,  and  busts  of  eminent  writers,  not  of  Ger- 
many alone,  but  of  foreign  lands  also.  The  library 
contains  seven  hundred  thousand  volumes,  arranged 
according  to  their  subjects,  in  seventy-six  rooms,  and 
the  collection  of  manuscripts  and  rare  works  is  ex- 
ceedingly rich,  extending  from  the  sixth  to  the  four- 
teenth century.  Let  me  see,  there  was  a  copy  of  the 
orations  of  Demosthenes,  of  a  very  early  date  ;  a  book 
containing  the  laws  of  Alaric,  king  of  the  Goths  ;  a 
tournament  book,  filled  with  rare  old  pictures  illustrat- 


LETTERS.  231 

ing  games  and  sports  of  the  day,  and  the  first  writing 
paper  made  in  the  fourteenth  century.  There  was  a 
missal,  in  a  cover  of  gold,  inlaid  with  ivory  and  pre- 
cious stones,  for  which  one  of  the  former  kings  gave  a 
city  in  return ;  and  there  was  the  first  book  ever 
printed  with  movable  types,  besides  some  that  were 
printed  with  block  types.  Then  there  was  the  hand- 
writing of  Luther  to  look  at,  and  of  Goethe,  of  Charles 
I.  of  England,  of  my  favorite  Maria  Theresa,  and  of 
Louis  XIV.,  so  that  altogether  our  visit  to  this  library 
was  full  o£  interest  and  information.  How  eagerly  we 
looked  at  every  thing,  and  how  industriously  we  took 
notes.  The  man  who  showed  us  round  looked  fright- 
ened when  he  saw  three  of  us  take  out  note-books  and 
pencils. 

Again  we  darted  off,  through  new  and  unpaved 
streets  to  the  ancient  Pinacothek,  where  is  the  gallery 
of  paintings  by  the  old  masters.  And  here  I  was  dis- 
appointed, for  amid  a  large  collection,  I  saw  but  few 
that  merited  more  than  a  passing  glance.  I  am  begin- 
ning to  like  the  German  school  of  painting  more  and 
more.  It  may  be  wanting  in  the  ideality  that  character- 
izes the  Italian  school,  but  it  has  more  of  the  reality  I 
think.  The  matchless  glories  of  the  Madonna  and  the 
Holy  Child,  the  awe-inspiring  sufferings  of  the  Man  of 
Sorrows,  the  convulsive  agonies  of  imaginary  saints, 
form  the  subjects  of  the  greater  part  of  the  Italian  pic- 
tures, and  certainly  some  of  them  are  the  finest  the 
world  ever  could  produce,  but  the  German  artist  does 
not  so  often  touch  on  these,  what  some  might  call,  for- 
bidden subjects,  but  to  him,  real  life  and  every  day 
deeds  has  its  charms,  and  a  living  face,  a  scene  in  a 
cottage,  a  group  of  children  or  peasants  in  their  lioli- 


232  LETTERS. 

day  garb  and  sports,  call  out  his  energies  and  his  en- 
thusiasm, and  he  produces  on  the  canvass  a  picture  of 
life,  of  life  as  it  is,  and  matchless  coloring  and  varying 
'expression  give  to  it  an  irresistible  charm.  You  may 
think  it  strange  that  one  so  ignorant  of  art  as  I  am, 
should  set  myself  up  for  a  critic,  but  I  am  not  criticis- 
ing for  others,  but  for  myself.  Do  not  understand  me 
to  say  I  do  not  like  Italian  pictures.  On  the  contrary, 
I  value  them  highly,  and  have  spent  delightful  hours 
in  gazing  on  the  greatest  masterpieces  the  world  ever 
has  produced,  but  I  mean  to  say,  that  now  as  I  see 
more  and  more  of  the  German  school  I  am  learning  to 
appreciate  it  better. 

The  Glyptothek  next  attracted  our  attention,  but  if 
you  expect  me  to  give  you  a  definition  of  all  the  hard 
words  I  use  you  are  mistaken,  for  although  I  do  not 
generally  use  a  word  I  do  not  know  something  about, 
I  am  obliged  to  swerve  somewhat  from  this  rule,  when 
I  copy  words  descriptiA'e  of  particular  things.  The 
word  Glyptothek,  with  so  many  consonants,  is,  the  cat- 
alogue tells  us,  of  Greek  origin,  and  then  it  learnedly 
gives  us  the  Greek  words  from  which  it  is  derived,  but 
as  I  am  ignorant  of  that  language,  I  am  obliged  to 
turn  to  my  companions,  more  erudite  than  myself,  and 
they  go  off  into  a  disquisition  from  which  I  derive  the 
information  that  the  plain  English  of  this  word,  diffi- 
cult to  pronounce,  as  well  as  to  write,  is  "  Sculpture 
Gallery." 

The  building  itself  is  worthy  of  all  admiration.  Each 
hall  is  beautifully  decorated  with  marble  columns  and 
vaulted  ceiling,  panelled  with  gold  and  rich  frescoes, 
and  filled  moreover  with  gems  of  art  from  the  Greek, 
the  Roman  and  the  Etruscan,  as  well  as  the  modern 


LETTERS.  233 

schools,  and  we  often  had  occasion  to  pause  to  admire 
a  noble  or  a  queenly  figure,  sculptured  with  matchless 
grace.  But  the  prettiest  thing  of  all  in  my  eyes,  was 
a  "  young  girl  fastening  on  her  sandal,"  by  Schadow. 
The  childlike  purity  and  innocence  of  the  face,  the 
dimpled  arm  and  slender  fingers,  the  graceful  attitude, 
so  easy,  so  very  natural,  are  all  inimitable.  Each 
statue,  and  bust,  and  urn,  stand  on  a  pedestal  of  rich 
marble,  iii  most  cases,  the  natural  productions  of  the 
country. 

There  were  still  other  gems  of  art,  and  collections  of 
antiquities  which  our  guide  praised  up  as  being  well 
worthy  of  admiration,  and  we  did  not  doubt  it ;  but  we 
had  seen  quite  enough  in  that  way  for  one  day,  and 
our  eyes  as  well  as  our  minds  were  weary,  so  after  din- 
ner we  drove  out  to  get  a  general  view  of  the  city  and 
its  environs,  which  on  account  of  the  plain  on  which 
Munich  is  situated,  cannot  boast  of  as  much  beauty 
and  variety  as  some  of  the  other  cities  we  have  visited. 

Oh !  I  fcrgot  to  say  that  while  we  were  waiting  for 
the  Glyptothek  to  be  opened,  we  visited  the  church  of 
St.  Boniface,  an  imposing  edifice,  with  four  rows  of 
handsome  marble  pillars,  and  beautiful  frescoes,  built 
after  the  design  of  "  St.  Paul,  without  the  walls,"  at 
Rome.  The  objectors  to  King  Louis  say  that  the  fault 
of  Munich  is,  there  is  nothing  original  about  its  public 
buildings,  for  that  every  palace,  and  church,  and  gallery, 
are  copies  from  those  of  other  cities.  But  better  to 
have  a  good  copy,  than  a  crude,  rough  original,  I  say, 
though  I  have  no  doubt  the  German  architects  could 
have  designed  as  good  models  as  those  they  have  so  well 
copied. 

Not  far  from  the  walls  of  the  city,  on  a  gentle  slope 


234  LETTERS. 

which  rises  from  the  rnidst  of  the  vast  plain  that  sweeps 
around  Munich,  stands  the  "  Bavarian  Hall  of  Fame," 
consisting  of  a  Doric  portico,  running  around  three 
sides  of  a  quadrangle,  adorned  with  busts  of  those  Ba- 
varians who  have  distinguished  themselves  either  in  war 
or  in  peace,  and  this  is  not  only  to  include  the  men  of 
the  past,  but  those  of  the  future  also,  so  that  hereafter, 
a  place  shall  be  given  to  every  son  of  Bavaria  who  has 
performed  noble  deeds  for  his  country. 

In  the  open  space  in  the  centre  of  the  quadrangle, 
rises  the  bronze  statue  of  Bavaria,  represented  by  a 
female  figure,  having  in  her  right  hand  a  wreath,  and 
in  her  left  a  sword.  Beside  her  couches  a  lion.  It  is 
sixty-four  feet  in  height,  and  stands  upon  a  pedestal 
thirty  feet  high.  It  is  magnificent !  The  artist's  name 
is  Ludwig  Schwanthaler,  and  he  may  justly  be  called 
the  Thorwaldsen  of  Bavaria.  This  morning  we  visited 
his  studio,  where  we  saw  some  very  beautiful  statues  he 
is  executing'  for  noblemen  of  England.  "We  bought  a 
miniature  copy,  in  plaster,  of  this  statue  qf  Bavaria, 
which  I  hope  will  cross  the  Atlantic  in  safety. 

But  I  have  wandered  from  the  statue  in  bronze  to  the 
one  in  plaster ;  so  now,  with  your  good  permission,  we 
will  return  to  it.  A  winding  staircase  within  the  pedestal 
and  statue,  leads  up  to  the  very  top,  and  so  up  we  went, 
not  only  to  get  a  view  of  the  surrounding  country,  but 
for  the  novelty  of  standing  within  the  head  of  a  statue. 
And  there  we  stood,  four  full  grown  persons,  and  had  a 
plenty  of  "  elbow  room"  besides.  Through  little  open- 
ings we  gazed  out  upon  the  immense  plain  around  us, 
and  the  distant  mountains,  standing  out  clearly  and 
boldly  against  the  golden  sky.  You  can  have  no  idea 
how  hot  it  was  up  there  ;  the  inner  surface  of  the  statue 


LETTERS.  235 

was  so  heated  by  the  sun's  rays,  I  could  scarcely  bear 
my  hand  upon  it. 

Then  we  came  back  to  town,  and  drove  through  some 
of  its  finest  streets,  every  building  in  which  is  worthy 
the  name  of  palace.  We  passed  the  University,  which 
stands  on  a  little  "  square"  or  "-place,"  having  in  front 
a  handsome  fountain,  and  went  again  out  of  the  city, 
under  a  noble  triumphal  arch,  built  after  the  model  of 
the  Arch  of  Constantine,  at  Rome,  and  surmounted  by 
a  figure  of  Victory,  in  a  car  drawn  by  four  lions — a 
spirited  piece  of  work. 

Evening  came  on  while  we  were  driving  along  the 
winding  roads  of  the  "  English  garden,"  and  the  soft 
light  fell  through  the  thick  branches  over  our  heads,  or 
slanted  across  a  green  meadow,  or  faintly  lit  up  the 
rustling  stream,  forming  a  beautiful  scene,  quiet  and 
peaceful,  wonderfully  refreshing  to  me  after  the  day's 
excitement  and  fatigue. 

This  morning  we  took  advantage  of  an  hour's  leisure, 
to  visit  an  exhibition  of  modern  paintings,  where  we 
found  many  beautiful  pictures.  On  our  way  home,  we 
stopped  at  the  studio  of  Schwanthaler,  but  this  I  have 
already  mentioned.  And  now,  my  record  of  Munich  is 
finished,  for  in  less  than  two  hours  we  leave  it  behind. 
I  am  well  aware  that  a  hurried  description,  like  mine, 
cannot  do  it  justice,  for  it  is  a  city  that,  to  the  lover  of 
art,  would  well  pay  for  a  much  longer  sojourn  than  we 
have  been  able  to  give  it. 


236  LETTERS. 


LETTER    LXXII. 

Augsburg. — The  Three  Moors. — Augsburg  Confession. — Fuggerville. — 
Nuremberg. — The  Red  Steed. — Objects  of  Interest. — Caspar  Hauser. — 
Manufactures  and  Inventions.  Passport  Arrangements. — Crown  Prin- 
cess of  Saxony. — Leipsic. — University. — The  Battle  Ground. — Monu- 
ment of  Poniatowski. — Rosenthal. 

LEIPSIC,  Sept.  15th. 
MY  DEAREST  F. : 

While  we  are  waiting  for  breakfast,  I  sit  down  to 
commence  a  letter  to  you,  without  having  the  slightest 
idea  when  I  shall  be  able  to  finish  it.  We  left  Munich 
Tuesday  afternoon,  for  Augsburg,  and  although  it  was 
only  forty  miles,  we  were  nearly  four  hours  in  accom- 
plishing that  distance,  as  we  were  in  what  is  called  "  the 
slow  train,"  which  stops  at  every  station,  and  takes 
freight  as  well  as  passengers.  The  country  between 
Munich  and  Augsburg  was  level  and  fertile,  but  not 
beautiful  or  interesting,  and  so  I  pass  it  by  without  fur- 
ther comment. 

At  Augsburg,  we  stopped  at  the  hotel  of  "  The 
Three  Moors,"  which  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  oldest 
inns  in  the  world,  there  being  records  of  it  as  far  back, 
as  the  year  1364.  Here,  at  one  time,  lived  Anthony 
Fugger,  surnamed  "  the  Rich,"  and  here  were  enter- 
tained Maximilian  I.  and  Charles  V.,  and  we  saw  the 
rooms  they  occupied. 

Full  of  interest  in  the  old  town,  we  went  out  for  a 
walk,  almost  the  very  moment  after  our  arrival,  but 
although  the  street  on  which  our  hotel  stands  is  wide, 
and  lined  with  noble  houses,  and  adorned  with  beautiful 
fountains  in  bronze,  scarcely  a  light  was  visible  in  any 


LETTERS.  237 

of  the  houses,  and  not  an  individual,  except  a  few  sol- 
diers, was  to  be  seen. 

The  next  morning  our  companions  left  us,  to  pursue 
their  way  into  Switzerland,  while  we,  under  the  guid- 
ance of  a  valet  de  place,  advanced  in  years  and  infirmi- 
ties, strolled  around  the  town.  And  a  quaint  old  place 
we  found  it,  many  of  its  houses  having  high,  peaked 
roofs,  often  with  three,  four  and  even  five  stories  above 
the  eaves.  Many  of  the  streets  are  grass-grown,  and 
look  deserted,  perhaps  because  Augsburg,  like  Munich, 
has  been  greviously  visited  with  the  cholera. 

It  has  some  flourishing  manufactures,  and  noble  old 
churches,  and  the  palace  yet  stands  where,  on  June  25th, 
1530,  the  famous  declaration  of  Protestantism,  known 
as  the  "  Augsburg  Confession,"  was  read  before  the 
«  Emperor  Charles  Y.  Here,  also,  in  1532,  took  place 
the  conference  between  Luther  and  the  Cardinal  of 
Gaeta. 

Within  the  centre  of  the  city,  (I  forgot  before  to  say 
Augsburg  has  about  thirty-five  thousand  inhabitants,) 
is  a  collection  of  houses  called  "  Fuggerville,"  in  which 
are  tenements  of  two  or  three  rooms,  let  to  poor  people 
for  a  small  sum,  not  more  than  a  dollar  or  two  a  year. 
This  little  community  lives  quite  by  itself,  having  a 
school  and  church  of  its  own. 

At  12  o'clock,  we  left  Augsburg  for  Nuremberg,  and 
this  time  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to  get  into  the  "  fast 
train,"  so  we  got  on  quite  comfortably  and  rapidly,  the 
distance  being  little  over  one  hundred  miles.  The 
country  was  mostly  level  and  fertile,  and  we  saw  im- 
mense quantities  of  flax,  tobacco  and  hops  growing. 

Arriving  at  Nuremberg  about  five,  we  went  to  the 
"  Red  Steed,"*  and  as  soon  as  we  had  seen  our  luggage 


238  LETTERS. 

deposited  in  our  room,  -we  strolled  out,  and,  yesterday 
morning,  with  a  guide  whose  mixture  of  French,  Ger- 
man and  English  was  exceedingly  difficult  to  under- 
stand, we  went  through  the  town  with  a  rush.  And 
what  a  quaint  town  it  is !  Even  many  of  the  new  houses 
are  built  after  the  fashion  of  the  ancient  ones,  and  their 
high  roofs,  pierced  with  small  windows,  and  their  little 
turrets  and  balconies,  present  a  most  picturesque  ap- 
pearance. We  walked  through  the  market  place,  full 
of  people  buying  and  selling ;  stopped  to  look  at  foun- 
tains of  diverse  designs  and  forms ;  visited  the  church 
of  St.  Sebald,  once  a  Catholic,  but  now  a  Protestant 
church ;  paused  to  look  at  a  fine  painting  by  Yandyck, 
in  the  church  of  St.  Egidien;  saw  the  old  Town  Hall,  a 
good  specimen  of  ancient  architecture ;  went  into  a 
beautiful  Catholic  church,  where  mass  was  being  cele- 
brated, and  where  the  peasant  women,  with  immense 
baskets  beside  them,  were  kneeling  to  offer  up  their 
morning  prayers  ;  picked  our  way  among  the  crowds  of 
people  that  thronged  the  Goose  market,  in  the  centre  of 
which  is  a  fountain,  the  water  running  out  of  the  mouths 
of  two  geese  held  under  the  arms  of  a  peasant ;  saw 
the  house  of  Hans  Sachs,  the  Nuremberg  cobbler  and 
poet ;  went  up  to  the  old  castle,  where  we  had  a  mag- 
nificent view  of  the  city  and  country  around,  and  saw 
two  or  three  chambers  filled  with  old  furniture,  books, 
china,  pictures,  &c.,  &c. ;  went  by  the  house  where 
Albert  Durer,  the  painter,  poet  and  sculptor  lived  ;  saw 
his  statue  in  the  Milk  market ;  and  finally  ended  the 
morning  with  visiting  the  antiquities  collected  by  mine 
host  of  the  Red  Steed.  There,  if  you  are  not  tired 
after  reading  that  long  sentence,  I  am,  and  so  I  will 
pause  for  breath. 


LETTERS.          •  239 

Nuremberg  was  once  one  of  the  most  important  places 
in  Germany,  being  the  centre  of  the  trade  between  the 
north  and  south,  particularly  when  the  Dutch  had  pos- 
session of  the  East  Indies.  After  they  lost  that,  the 
trade  and  prosperity  of  Nuremberg  declined,  but  within 
a  few  years,  I  am  told,  they  are  once  more  on  the  rise. 
Judging  from  the  immense  number  of  bags  of  hops  I 
saw  in  the  streets,  I  should  think  they  formed  a  staple 
commodity.  Do  you  remember  the  story  of  Caspar 
Hauser  ?  Well,  he  was  found  in  Nuremberg,  and,  of 
course,  for  a  time,  gave  celebrity  to  the  place.  This 
city,  too,  is  famous  for  its  manufactures  and  inventions. 
The  first  watches  were  made  here  in  1500,  and  from 
their  oval  shape,  they  received  the  name  of  "  Nurem- 
berg eggs."  We  saw  two  or  three  of  them,  and  huge, 
ungainly  things  they  were,  too.  Whist  players  may  be 
interested  in  knowing  that  cards,  if  not  invented  here, 
were  made  here  as  early  as  1380.  The  first  paper-mill 
was  built  in  Nuremberg  in  1390,  and  the  first  cannon 
was  cast  here  in  1356.  Here,  also,  was  made,  in  1517, 
the  first  gunpowder,  and  in  1360  a  machine  was  invented 
for  drawing  wire,  and  in  1550  that  alloy  of  metals, 
called  brass,  was  discovered.  There's  a  string  of  dates 
for  you ! 

At  12  o'clock,  we  were  once  more  on  the  move,  and 
late  last  evening  arrived  here,  the  distance  between  the 
two  places  being  about  two  hundred  and  twenty  miles. 
The  country  was  beautiful,  varied  with  hill,  and  dale, 
and  rushing  stream.  At  one  place  the  railroad  crosses 
a  deep  valley,  by  a  bridge  one-third  of  a  mile  long,  and 
two  hundred  and  seventy  feet  above  the  deepest  part  of 
the  valley.  The  bridge  is  composed  of  four  rows  of 
arches,  one  above  the  other,  having  in  the  whole  eighty 


240  »         LETTERS. 

arches,  the  grandest  structure  of  its  kind  in  all  Ger- 
many. 

We  are  in  good  quarters  here,  at  the  "  Hotel  de  Ba- 
viere,"  and  this  morning  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the 
Crown  Princess  of  Saxony,  the  wife  of  the  heir  appa- 
rent to  the  throne  of  Saxony,  in  whose  dominions  we 
are  at  present.  Although  we  passed,  yesterday,  from 
the  kingdom  of  Bavaria  into  that  of  Saxony,  there  was 
no  examination  of  luggage  at  all,  and  no  flurry  about 
the  passport.  Indeed,  we  are  every  day  agreeably  sur- 
prised with  the  contrast,  in  these  two  respects,  between 
our  former  European  tour  and  the  present  one.  And 
here  perhaps  I  may  as  well  say,  as  to  wait  till  another 
time,  that  we  have  thus  far  had  no  trouble  whatever 
about  our  passport,  and  very  little  expense.  On  arriv- 
ing at  some  of  the  cities,  it  has  been  taken  from  us  at 
the  barriers,  and  when  it  has  not.  it  has  been  asked  for 
immediately  on  our  entrance  into  the  hotel,  and  the 
question  added,  how  long  we  should  stay,  and  where 
we  were  going  next.  "Whenever  we  were  ready  to  de- 
part, the  passport  was  brought  to  us  duly  signed  and 
sealed  for  our  next  stopping  place,  and  a  fee  to  the  man 
who  has  had  the  charge  of  it,  of  ten  or  twelve  cents, 
has  covered  all  expenses.  How  much  better  is  this  than 
being  obliged  to  rush  through  a  town,  as  we  used  to  in 
France  and  Italy,  hunting  up  authorities  to  vise  the 
passports,  each  of  which  demanded  a  fee,  three  or  four 
times  more  than  was  necessary. 

And  now  what  shall  I  tell  you  of  Leipsic  ?  for  since 
I  began  this  letter,  we  have  spent  several  hours  in  look- 
ing about  the  town.  It  is  a  much  handsomer  city  than 
I  expected  to  see,  and  has  about  sixty-five  thousand  in- 
habitants. Here  are  held,  three  times  a  year,  fairs 


L  E  T  T  E  E  S .  241 

which  last  two  or  three  weeks,  and  which  are  visited  by 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  merchants  and  traders  from 
all  parts  of  the  world.  At  one  time  the  sales  amounted 
to  eighty  millions  of  dollars  annually,  that  of  books 
alone  amounting  to  more  than  two  millions. 

Here,  too,  is  a  University,  the  oldest  but  one  in  Ger- 
many, having  been  founded  in  the  year  1400.  At  pres- 
ent, there  are  about  eight  hundred  students,  and  one 
hundred  and  thirty  professors  and  teachers. 

Of  the  Library,  the  Museum,  the  Gallery  of  Paint- 
ings here,  I  can  tell  you  nothing,  for  I  did  not  go  to  see 
them,  having  neither  time  nor  strength  to  spare  for  the 
undertaking.  We  ascended,  by  I  forget  how  many 
stairs,  to  the  top  of  the  Observatory,  to  get  a  good  view 
of  the  battle  ground  where,  in  October,  1813,  was  fought 
one  of  the  largest  battles  ever  recorded  in  history,  there 
having  been  engaged  one  hundred  and  seventy-six 
thousand  troops  on  the  side  of  Napoleon,  and  three  hun- 
dred thousand  on  that  of  the  Allies.  No  wonder,  with 
such  an  overwhelming  majority  against  him,  the  star  of 
Napoleon  sank  for  the  time.  This  battle,  it  is  said,, 
decided  the  fate  of  Europe. 

Afterwards  we  went  to  the  bank  of  the  Elster,  where 
Prince  Poniatowski  lost  his  life,  by  attempting  to  swim 
across  the  stream,  and  a  little  farther  on  saw  the  monu- 
ment which  has  been  erected  to  the  brave  Pole. 

Like  Vienna,  Leipsic  is  surrounded  by  gardens,  which 
form  delightful  promenades.  We  walked  through  a 
part  of  Rosenthal,  a  beautiful  park,  but  I  was  too  tired 
to  go  far,  even  though  told  that  a  half  hour's  walk 
would  lead  to  a  lovely  little  cottage  once  inhabited 
by  Schiller.  As  I  have  said  many  times  before,  sight- 
seeing is  fatiguing  business;  it  not  only  tells  upon 
16 


242  LETTERS. 

the  physical  strength,  but  it  taxes  largely  the  energies 
of  the  mind,  the  imagination  and  the  memory,  till  at 
times  one  feels  completely  overworked. 

As  we  have  seen  here  all  we  care  about  seeing,  we 
have  concluded  to  go  on  to  Dresden  to-night,  though  in 
general  we  avoid  night  traveling,  if  possible,  as  we 
want  to  see  as  much  of  the  country  as  we  can. 


LETTER    LXXIII. 

Dresden. — Hotel  Bellevue. — Currency. — Japanese  Palace. — Bridge  over 
the  Elbe. — Historical  Museum. — Table  d'hote. — Bruhl  Terrace. — Dog- 
carts.— Eomish  Church. — English  Church. 

DRESDEN,  Sept.  17th. 
MY  VERY  DEAR  F: 

Behold  us,  at  last,  in  this  capital  of  the  kingdom  of 
Saxony,  a  beautiful  city  of  ninety  thousand  inhabitants, 
situated  on  both  sides  of  the  river  Elbe,  in  the  midst  of 
a  charming  country.  Below  and  above  the  city,  the 
banks  of  the  river  display  many  scenes  of  loveliness, 
hills  covered  with  vineyards,  and  dotted  with  country 
seats. 

We  are  at  the  Hotel  Bellevue,  having  on  one  side  the 
river,  and  on  the  other  a  pretty  park  with  winding 
walks,  and  a  little  pond  in  the  centre,  across  which 
small  boats  are  constantly  darting,  while  in  front  of  the 
hotel  is  an  open  square,  bounded  on  one  side  by  the 
theatre  and  the  Romish  church,  with  the  royal  palace 
in  the  rear.  Many  of  the  houses  in  Dresden  are  very 
handsome,  and  the  palaces  and  public  buildings  are  on 
a  magnificent  scale,  but  they  all  have  a  dull  and 
dingy  look,  and  there  is  ever  a  smokiness  in  the  air,  as 


LETTERS.  243 

in  London  or  Liverpool,  or  other  places  where  large 
quantities  of  coal  are  burnt. 

Just  as  we  were  becoming  accustomed  to  "  florins" 
and  "  kreutzers,"  the  currency  has  changed,  and  we 
are  now  among  "  thalers"  and  "  groschen,"  thirty  gros- 
chen  making  a  thaler,  which  is  about  seventy-five  cents 
of  our  money.  For  a  little  while,  I  could  not  "  get  the 
hang"  of  this  new  money,  but  now  it  comes  quite  easily. 

Our  first  exploit  here  in  the  way  of  sight-seeing,  was 
to  visit  the  "  Japanese  Palace,"  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river.  "We  crossed  over  by  a  stone  bridge  of  immense 
length  and  strength,  built  of  solid  arches,  so  as  to  be 
able  to  resist  the  force  of  the  current,  which  is  very 
strong.  Besides  the  current,  it  has  other  impediments 
to  fight  against,  for  in  the  Spring,  when  the  snow  and 
the  ice  begin  to  melt,  the  river  has  often  been  known  to 
rise  sixteen  feet  in  one  day.  This  bridge  was  built  with 
money  raised  in  a  peculiar  way ;  by  the  sale  of  dispen- 
sations from  the  Pope,  for  the  use  of  butter  and  eggs 
during  Lent.  A  very  small  toll  is  demanded  for  horses 
and  carriages,  while  foot  passengers  go  free,  those  going 
over  taking  the  right  hand  side,  which  tends  to  dimin- 
ish confusion. 

The  "  Japanese  Palace"  is  so  called  from  the  figures 
and  ornaments  in  porcelain  with  which  it  is  decked  out, 
and  contains  a  collection  of  china  and  porcelain  from 
all  parts  of  the  world,  a  cabinet  of  antiquities,  and  the 
royal  library,  but  we  confined  our  attention  entirely  to 
the  first  two.  The  collection  of  porcelain  and  china 
occupies  twenty  rooms,  and  contains  more  than  sixty 
thousand  pieces,  the  catalogue  of  which  fills  five  large 
volumes.  They  date  from  the  earliest  period  of  the 
manufacture  of  china,  down  to  the  present  day,  and 


244  LETTERS. 

you  may  readily  imagine  one  could  find  there  many 
beautiful  specimens  of  every  period.  The  keeper,  an 
important,  consequential  sort  of  a  personage,  showed  us 
one  cup  and  saucer  made  in  Japan,  of  transparent 
china,  which  was  more  than  seventeen  hundred  'years, 
old !  What  a  tale  they  could  tell,  if  a  tongue  w.ere 
given  to  them. 

The  ware  from  Italy  and  from  Sevres  is  very  beauti- 
ful, every  article  being  of  different  design.  There  were 
some  magnificent  vases,  also,  and  the  bust  of  a  female, 
the  head  covered  with  a  veil  of  china,  made  to  imitate 
lace,  a  wonderful  thing,  and,  by  some,  considered  the 
gem  of  the  collection.  . 

In  the  cabinet  of  antiquities  we  found  some  fine  busts 
and  statues,  but  far  inferior  to  the  galleries  of  Italy,  and 
not  to  be  compared  with  that  at  Munich.  It,  however, 
is  well  worth  seeing,  though  I  must  confess  I  was  quite 
as  much  interested  in  looking  out  on  the  beautiful  gar- 
dens surrounding  the  palace. 

Then  we  came  back  to  this  part  of  the  town,  and 
went  to  the  Historical  Museum,  where  we  saw  so  many 
things,  my  head  really  aches  in  trying  to  remember 
them.  This  is  contained  in  what  is  called  the  Zwinger, 
which  consists  of  a  portico  running  around  a  square, 
and  designed  by  Augustus  II.  as  the  entrance  to  an  im- 
mense palace,  which  has  never  been  built. 

The  collection  of  ancient  armor  here  is  said  to  be  the 
largest  and  the  richest  in  the  world.  For  my  part,  I 
thought  that  at  Vienna  could  not  be  surpassed,  but  this 
goes  before  it.  Some  of  the  suits  of  armor  are  elab- 
orately carved,  while  two  or  three  are  of  silver,  gilded 
over.  All  sorts  of  weapons  of  warfare  that  were  ever 
heard  of  are  here  collected,  and  historical  relics  from  all 


LETTERS.  245 

parts  of  the  world.  There  was  a  beautiful  cabinet,  enam- 
elled and  inlaid  with  ivory,  presented  by  John  Frederic  to 
Martin  Luther,  and  the  drinking  cup  of  the  great  re- 
former, which  I  think  if  some  of  our  temperance  advo- 
cates at  home  could  see,  they  would  think  his  principles 
of  abstinence  were  not  on  a  par  with  his  Protestantism. 

The  cuirass  belonging  to  Augustus  the  Strong  weighs 
one  hundred  pounds,  and  as  for  his  cap,  I  tried  to  raise 
it,  but  gave  up  the  attempt,  as  quite  beyond  my  strength, 
and  we  saw  a  horse-shoe  which  he  broke  in  two  with 
his  fingers,  preserved  as  a  relic,  to  show  he  merited  the 
appellation  of  "  Strong." 

Hilts  of  swords,  stocks  of  guns,  elaborately  wrought 
in  gold  and  silver,  and  inlaid  with  ivory  and  precious 
stones,  a  harness  of  gold,  set  with  rubies,  and  others  of 
silver,  inlaid  with  pearls  and  turquoises ;  the  little,  old- 
fashioned  looking  hat  worn  by  Peter  the  Great,  and  a 
wooden  bowl  turned  by  his  own  imperial  hands  ;  a  sad- 
dle of  red  velvet,  once  belonging  to  Napoleon,  the  boots 
he  wore  at  the  battle  of  Dresden,  and  the  satin  shoes 
he  had  on  at  the  time  of  his  coronation ;  a  Turkish  tent 
and  collection  of  arms,  taken  at  the  siege  of  Vienna, 
each  in  its  turn  claimed  due  attention  from  us,  and 
elicited  many  expressions  of  admiration. 

When  I  had  gone  through  with  these  objects  of  in- 
terest, I  declared  I  would  see  nothing  more  that  day, 
for  I  was  really  wearied  with  admiring,  so  we  took  a  turn 
through  some  of  the  principal  streets,  where  I  saw  hand- 
some shops,  and  beautiful  engravings  in  almost  every 
window. 

There  are  two  tables  d'hote  here,  the  first  at  one 
o'clock,  the  other  at  five.  As  we  do  not  breakfast  till 
nine,  the  one  o'clock  dinner  comes  rather  too  early  for 


246  LETTERS. 

us,  so  we  take  the  later  one  at  five.  The  dinner  at  one 
o'clock  is  cheaper  by  about  thirty  cents,  but  then,  on 
the  other  hand,  if  we  dined  at  that  early  hour,  we 
should  require  a  supper,  which  would  more  than  balance 
the  difference  in  the  price  of  the  dinners. 

After  dinner,  we  walked  along  the  banks  of  the  Elbe, 
on  what  is  called  the  Bruhl  terrace,  made  from  the 
gardens  of  the  minister  of  that  name,  after  his  palace 
was  destroyed  during  the  "  Seven  Years'  War."  Broad 
walks,  shaded  with  lofty  trees,  pretty  views  of  the  Elbe 
and  the  opposite  banks,  groups  of  gay  people  flitting  in 
and  out  among  the  trees,  make  this  garden  a  delightful 
place  of  promenade.  We  stopped  at  a  cafe"  to  get  some 
ices,  and  were  rather  surprised  to  find  that  as  we  come 
north,  they  are  getting  dearer  and  dearer. 

One  of  the  most  striking  peculiarities  of  Dresden,  is 
the  number  of  little  carts  drawn  by  dogs,  and  it  is  sur- 
prising to  see  what  loads  these  poor  creatures  draw. 
To-day,  we  saw  one  dragging  along  a  cart,  with  a  ton 
of  coal  in  it.  Although,  as  you  know,  I  have  no  great 
partiality  for  dogs,  while  I  think  it  is  well  to  have  them 
put  to  some  good  use,  I  cannot  bear  to  see  them  so 
harshly  treated.  But  there  is  one  thing  in  this  that 
gives  me  comfort;  I  should  feel  quite  safe  in  eating 
sausages  here,  knowing  dog's  flesh  was  not  liable  to  be 
one  of  the  ingredients,  since  dogs  must  be  too  valuable, 
as  beasts  of  burden,  to  be  killed  for  food. 

This  morning,  we  went  to  the  Romish  church,  where 
we  heard  magnificent  music,  an  oratorio  being  per- 
formed by  a  large  choir  and  a  number  of  musical  in- 
struments besides  the  organ.  There  was  quite  a  new 
feature  in  this  church ;  the  men  were  all  seated  on  one 
side,  the  women  on  the  other.  A  private  gallery  con- 


LETTERS.  247 

nects  this  church  with  the  palace,  but  there  were  none 
of  the  royal  family  present  this  morning,  the  court  being 
now  at  one  of  the  siunmer  palaces. 

This  afternoon,  we  attended  the  service  of  the  English 
church,  held  in  a  small  chapel,  at  a  long  distance  from 
our  hotel.  It  was  quite  decked  out  with  flowers  and 
wreaths,  and  over  the  altar  was  a  picture  of  our  Saviour, 
and  on  one  side  of  that,  the  portrait  of  Martin  Luther, 
and  on  the  other,  one  of  John  Huss.  Flowers,  and 
paintings,  and  candles,  decorate  all  the  Protestant 
churches  in  Germany,  of  whatever  name,  and  the  Eng- 
lish follow  the  received  fashion. 

After  dinner,  we  took  a  quiet  walk  in  the  pretty  park 
in  front  of  our  hotel,  and  the  remainder  of  the  evening 
I  have  spent  in  chatting  with  you,  and  thus  have  given 
you  a  pretty  full  account  of  our  first  two  days  in 
Dresden. 


LETTER    LXXIV. 

Picture  Gallery. — Royal  Palace. — Green  Vaults. — Pleasant  Surprise. — 
Cabinet  of  Minerals. — Environs  of  Dresden. — Plauen. — Tharand. — 
New  "Yown. 

DRESDEN,  Sept.  19th. 
MY  DEAR  FRIEND  : 

I  must  confess  I  was  rather  disappointed  yesterday 
morning,  in  finding  it  was  raining  fast,  for  we  were  in- 
tending to  make  an  excursion  to  some  of  the  beautiful 
environs  of  Dresden,  for  which  pleasant  weather  was 
very  desirable.  We  devoted  the  morning  to  the  Picture 
Gallery,  the  best  collection  of  paintings  in  all  Germany, 
that  is,  of  the  old  masters.  Here  is  the  famous  "  Ma- 


248  LETTERS. 

donna  di  San  Sisto"  of  Raphael,  considered  by  many 
connoisseurs  equal  to  any  of  the  works  of  that  painter 
in  Italy,  and  for  which  nearly  forty  thousand  dollars 
were  paid.  Here,  too,  is  the  celebrated  "  Night"  of 
Coreggio,  in  which  all  the  light  that  falls  upon  the 
figures  in  the  group,  comes  from  the  body  of  the  infant 
Saviour.  Time  would  fail  me  to  give  even  a  list  of  the 
renowned  masters  whose  works  compose  this  collection ; 
suffice  it  to  say,  it  is  probably  the  best  gallery  in  the 
world,  out  of  Italy.  In  every  room,  artists  were  en- 
gaged in  copying  pictures,  and  in  many  instances,  their 
copies  were  of  great  merit.  The  Germans,  as  a  nation, 
have  much  enthusiasm  for  art,  and  added  to  that  en- 
thusiasm and  reverence,  they  unite  perseverance  with 
energy,  and  thus  a  great  many  of  them  become  artists, 
in  the  true  and  noble  sense  of  the  word. 

In  the  afternoon,  we  went  through  the  rooms  in  the 
royal  palace,  known  by  the  name  of  "  the  Green  Vaults," 
and  here  we  saw  articles  of  such  priceless  value  ancl 
brilliancy  as  quite  to  dazzle  our  eyes  and  bewilder  our 
imaginations.  The  collection  of  jewels  and  precious 
stones,  of  gold  and  silver,  is  said  to  be  the  most  costly 
in  the  world.  Could  you  have  listened  to  our  excla- 
mations, as  we  passed  from  one  dazzling  article  to  an- 
other, and  then  could  you  have  had  a  peep  yourself  at 
the  tempting  array,  I  am  sure  you  would  have  said  with 
us,  that  it  was  nearer  the  realization  of  gorgeous  tales 
of  Eastern  life  than  any  thing  you  had  ever  before  im- 
agined. 

I  scarcely  know  where  to  begin  in  my  description  of 
this  magnificent  collection,  which  fills  eight  large  rooms, 
so  I  will  give,  in  a  desultory  manner,  the  names  of  some 
of  the  most  prominent  objects.  The  carvings  in  bronze 


LETTERS.  249 

and  ivory  are  inimitable ;  among  these  is  a  vase  on 
which  is  represented  the  fall  of  Lucifer  and  the  wicked 
angels,  composed  of  a  group  of  eighty-five  figures,  the 
whole  cut  out  of  one  piece  of  ivory  not  a  foot  and  a 
half  high !  Next  in  order,  came  Florentine  mosaics, 
composed  of  precious  and  costly  stones ;  shells  and 
ostrich  eggs  carved  and  engraved  in  a  thousand  forms ; 
a  large  cabinet,  all  of  amber ;  a  chimney-piece  of  Dres- 
den china,  of  priceless  value ;  an  immense  collection  of 
gold  and  silver  plate,  among  which  were  eight  vessels  of 
solid  gold,  and  large  wine-coolers  of  silver  gilt.  As  for 
articles  cut  in  agate,  chalcedony,  lapis-lazuli,  onyx,  jasper, 
rock-crystal,  &c.,  they  were  innumerable,  among  which 
was  an  onyx  cameo,  and  two  goblets,  composed  entire- 
ly of  precious  stones,  and  valued  at  six  thousand  dol- 
lars each!  The  largest  pearl  in  the  world  is  in  this  col- 
lection, and  as  for  sapphires,  emeralds,  rubies,  brilliants 
and  diamonds,  there  really  seemed  no  end  to  them,  and 
their  dazzling  brilliancy  defies  description. 

Then  there  were  some  things  very  curious  and 
unique,  such  as  a  golden  egg,  which,  when  opened, 
showed  a  minature  chicken ;  this,  in  turn,  contained  a 
ring,  which  when  touched  in  a  peculiar  manner,  sprung 
open,  displaying  another  ring  and  a  small  minature. 
This  certainly  is  an  egg  worth  having.  Then  there  was 
a  set  of  figures  in  pure  gold,  enamelled,  to  the  number 
of  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight,  representing  "  the 
court  of  the  Grand  Mogul,"  wherein  the  Emperor 
Aureugzebe  is  seen  seated  upon  his  throne,  surrounded 
by  his  guard  and  attendants,  each  in  appropriate  cos- 
tume. This  was  executed  by  Dinglinger,  court  jeweller 
at  Dresden  about  1720,  and  termed  the  Saxon  Bene- 
venuto  Cellini.  He  was  employed  upon  it  eight  years, 


250  LETTERS. 

and  the  whole  cost  of  it  was  about  fifty-nine  thousand 
dollars ! 

Chains,  ear-rings,  bracelets,  jewels,  sword-hilts,  stud- 
ded with  diamonds,  gems  of  all  kinds  and  every  hue, 
were  there  in  such  abundance,  that  the  wonder  to  me 
was,  where  they  all  came  from.  It  is  said  a  prominent 
object  of  the  revolutionists  in  1849,  was  to  obtain  pos- 
session of  the  treasures  of  the  Green  Vaults,  and  I  am 
inclined  to  think  the  mob  would  have  made  sad  havoc 
of  them,  if  it  had  once  had  them  in  its  power. 

A  nice  old  man,  a  little  pompous,  showed  us  round 
these  apartments,  and  allowed  us  to  look  and  admire 
to  our  hearts'  content.  He  seemed  mightily  pleased, 
when  I  told  him  there  was  nothing  more  in  the  world 
now  for  us  to  see,  and  therefore  we  might  as  well  go 
home  to  America. 

As  we  were  going  down  to  dinner,  yesterday,  whom 
should  we  meet  but  our  fellow-companion  in  the  Desert, 
Mr.  R.  ?  To  say  which  was  the  most  surprised  at  this 
unexpected  meeting,  would  be  exceedingly  difficult,  and 
the  way  we  talked  over,  during  the  evening,  our  mutual 
adventures,  since  we  parted  on  the  Bosphorus,  was  not 
slow. 

This  morning  we  went  to  the  cabinet  of  minerals, 
where  I  was  exceedingly  interested.  I  had  no  idea  be- 
fore that  Saxony  was  so  rich  in  minerals.  I  knew  the 
silver  mines  at  Freiberg  were  very  extensive,  for  in  the 
space  of  fifty  years,  it  is  said,  more  than  two  thousand 
tons  of  silver  have  been  obtained  from  those  mines, 
but  I  was  disappointed  in  the  specimens  of  silver  ore 
in  this  collection,  for  they  were  not  so  large,  or  so  good 
as  I  supposed  they  would  be,  from  such  valuable  mines 
in  the  neighborhood.  There  was  one  piece  from  another 


LETTERS.  251 

mine,  taken  from  a  block  of  pure  silver,  which  was 
originally  of  such  large  size,  that  it  served  for  a  dinner 
table  for  the  Elector  of  Saxony,  when  he  visited  the 
mine.  A  rude  engraving  represents  the  scene,  the 
royal  personage  seated  in  the  mine  at  his  table  of 
solid  silver. 

Notwithstanding  the  drops  of  rain  that  occasionally 
fell,  and  the  dark  clouds  which  hovered  over  us,  we 
resolved  to  drive  out  into  the  country,  that  we  might 
know,  at  least,  something  about  the  environs  of  Dres- 
den, of  whose  beauty  we  had  heard  so  much.  We 
went  out  to  Plauen,  a  small  village  composed  of  pictur- 
esque looking  houses,  like  those  we  used  to  see  in  some 
parts  of  Switzerland  ;  the  wood-work  forming  the  frame 
being  left  in  sight,  and  the  spaces  between,  lathed  and 
plastered.  The  appearance  is  like  dark  lines  drawn 
in  various  directions  across  the  entire  surface.  We 
rode  through  a  narrow  glen,  along  the  bank  of  the 
Weisseritz,  while  high  hills  arose  on  either  side,  some 
covered  with  trees  and  bushes,  others  rocky  and  bare. 
Occasionally  the  glen  widened,  and  we  saw  pretty  mead- 
ows and  neat  cottages,  and  then  the  rocks  disappeared 
and  wooded  hills  were  on  both  sides  of  us.  It  was 
almost  as  grand  as  the  Tyrol. 

Then  we  came  to  the  village  of  Tharand,  which  has 
some  mineral  springs,  enough  to  make  it  entitled  to  the 
name  of  a  "  watering  place,"  and  to  be  much  visited 
in  the  summer  by  the  inhabitants  of  Dresden.  It  is 
delightfully  situated  in  an  open  glade,  where  three  val- 
leys meet,  two  of  them  watered  by  little  streams  that 
give  great  beauty  to  the  scene. 

We  left  the  carriage  and  climbed  up  to  the  top  of  a 
hill,  where  stands  a  ruined  monastery,  and  from  which 


252  LETTERS. 

we  obtained  a  delightful  view  of  the  lovely  vale  beneath 
us,  and  the  forest  clad  hills  around  us.  It  was,  indeed, 
a  charming  spot,  and .  I  only  wished  we  had  hours, 
instead  of  minutes,  to  spend  there. 

On  passing  through  a  toll-gate,  on  our  way  out,  the 
keeper  being  quite  too  indolent,  or  too  fearful  of  the 
weather,  to  come  out  of  his  house,  thrust  through  the 
window  a  bag,  fastened  to  the  end  of  a  long  pole,  pre- 
cisely like  what  I  used  to  see  years  ago  carried  about 
in  the  churches  in  New  Jersey  for  contributions. 

And  now  I  have  finished  my  chronicles  of  Dresden, 
for  to-morrow  we  must  bid  adieu  to  this  beautiful  city, 
favored  abode  both  by  nature  and  art.  Oh,  I  forgot  to 
say,  that  yesterday  we  walked  over  to  the  "  new  town" 
on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river.  We  went  up  a  long 
street,  with  a  double  row  of  trees  in  the  centre,  and 
handsome  houses  on  either  side.  There  is  a  fine  eques- 
trian statue  of  Augustus  II.,  where  this  street  opens 
upon  the  river. 

And  now  good  bye. 


LETTERS.  253 


-LETTER    LXXV. 

Departure  from  Dresden. — Tetzel's  Box. — Obelisk. — Hill  of  the  Cross. — 
Berlin. — British  Hotel. — Linden  Trees. — Street  of  Palaces. — Branden- 
burg Gate. — Park. — Monument  of  Frederick  the  Great. — Streets. — Ber- 
lin Iron. — Potsdam. — Eoyal  Palace. — Sans-souci. — Windmill. — New 
Palace. — Antique  Temple. — Charlottenkof. — Russian  Colony. — Burial 
Place  of  Frederick  the  Great. — Voltaire's  Residence. 

BERLIN,  Sept.  21st. 
MY  DEAR  P. : 

On  "Wednesday. morning  we  were  called  at  the  early 
hour  of  five  o'clock,  so  that  we  were  obliged  to  light 
the  candles  to  see  to  dress.  Perhaps  it  was  not 
"  tough"  getting  up  at  that  unseasonable  hour,  and 
starting  for  the  railway  station  in  the  grey  light  of  the 
morning.  But  we  must  either  do  this,  or  arrive  at 
Berlin  at  nine  in  the  evening,  and  I  don't  know  which 
is  the  most  forlorn,  starting  off  before  sunrise,  or  arriv- 
ing after  dark. 

The  country,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  way  between 
Dresden  and  here,  is  exceedingly  poor  and  uninterest- 
ing. It  has,  however,  a  few  stirring  historical  associa- 
tions, which  served  to  keep  one  awake  during  the  jour- 
ney of  six  hours.  In  the  town  of  Jutterbog,  for 
instance,  in  one  of  the  churches,  there  is  the  very  box 
of  which  the  monk  Tetzel,  the  antagonist  of  Luther, 
was  robbed  in  a  forest  near  by.  It  was  full  of  gold, 
the  price  of  the  indulgences  Tetzel  had.  sold,  and  the 
most  singular  part  of  the  whole  story  is,  that  the  rob- 
ber was  one  of  the  very  men  to  whom  Tetzel  had  sold 
an  indulgence  for  any  sins  he  might  commit. 

Further  on,  an  obelisk,  with  a  cross  carved  on  it,  is 


254  LETTERS. 

erected  to  commemorate  the  victory  over  the  French 
by  the  Prussians,  August  23d,  1813.  The  French  were 
commanded  by  Oudinot,  the  Prussians  by  Bulow. 

Just  before  arriving  here,  we  passed  a  little  hill, 
called  the  Kreutzberg,  "  hill  of  the  cross,"  so  named 
from  a  Gothic  cross  of  iron,  one  hundred  and  sixty 
feet  high,  erected  upon  its  summit,  to  commemorate  the 
recovery  of  the  independence  of  Prussia,  from  the 
French. 

This  city  is,  as  you  doubtless  know,  the  capital  of  the 
kingdom  of  Prussia.  It  is  situated  on  the  river  Spree,  in 
the  midst  of  a  wide  plain,  such  poor  land,  that  it  can 
never  be  carried  to  a  great  extent  of  cultivation,  but  it 
was  the  will  of  Frederick  the  Great,  that  his  capital 
should  flourish,  in  spite  of  the  obstacles  nature  had 
placed  against  it,  and  that  iron  will  conquered,  and 
Berlin  now  covers  an  extent  of  land  twelve  miles  in  cir- 
cumference, and  contains  four  hundred  and  eighteen 
thousand  inhabitants. 

As  we  entered  the  city  our  carriage  was  stopped  by 
a  police  officer,  who  inquired  if  we  had  "  any  thing  sub- 
ject to  duty  ?"  We  told  him  "  no,"  and  after  pinch- 
ing the  carpet  bag,  and  knocking  his  knuckles  against 
my  writing  desk,  he  motioned  for  the  carriage  to  drive  on, 
without  even  asking  for  our  keys,  an  act  of  forbearance 
very  pleasant  to  us,  for  the  delay  occasioned  by  unstrap- 
ping and  unlocking  trunks  and  bags,  and  then  locking 
and  strapping  them  again,  is  not  very  pleasant,  partic- 
ularly in  the  ra*m,  for  you  may  be  interested  in  knowing 
we  arrived  here  in  a  heavy  shower. 

We  came  to  the  "  British  Hotel,"  but  when  we  went 
down  to  dinner  at  three  o'clock,  the  fashionable  dinner 
hour  in  Berlin,  and  found  ourselves  surrounded  by  a 


L  E  T  T  E  E  S  .  255 

party  of  Germans,  there  being  no  one  but  ourselves 
and  an  English  gentleman  whom  we  met  at  Dresden, 
speaking  the  English  language,  I  concluded  it  was  an 
"  hotel"  without  the  "  British." 

After  dinner,  the  rain  having  ceased,  we  went  out 
for  a  walk  for  general  observation,  preliminary  to  tak- 
ing a  more  particular  survey.  This  hotel  is  in  the 
street  called  "  Unter  den  Linden,"  from  a  double  row 
of  linden  trees,  railed  off  for  a  promenade  along  the 
centre,  having  on  each  side  a  wide-carriage  road.  I 
cannot  say  much  for  the  sidewalks  of  Berlin  :  the  strip 
of  flag-stones  in  the  centre  is  very  narrow,  while  the 
round  stones  on  either  side,  are  villainous  in  the 
extreme. 

But  the  biddings  that  line  this  street  are  splendid. 
It  may  well  be  called  a  street  of  palaces,  and  I  scarcely 
know  a  finer  one  in  any  part  of  Europe,  that  has  been 
favored  with  our  presence.  At  one  end,  is  the  Bran- 
denburg gate,  said  to  have  been  a  copy  of  the  Propylae- 
um  at  Athens,  thoiigh  on  a  larger  scale  even  than 
that.  On  the  top,  it  is  surmounted  by  a  triumphal  car, 
bearing  the  goddess  of  Victory,  who  holds  aloft  an 
eagle  and  an  iron  cross,  added  by  the  Prussians,  after 
her  return  from  Paris,  whither  she  was  carried  by  the 
French.  Extending  a  long  distance  beyond  this  gate,  is 
an  immense  park,  thrown  open  to  the  public,  adorned 
with  large  trees,  and  sheltered  walks,  and  open  glades, 
the  last  being  the  play-ground  of  the  city.  Along 
these  walks,  at  every  hour  of  the  day,  you  may  meet 
groups  of  children  and  babies  "  in  arms,"  attended  by 
their  careful  nurses  or  tender  mothers,  and  as  I  looked 
upon  their  ruddy  faces  and  fat  little  figures,  I  thought 
how  much  better  they  seemed  to  thrive  under  such  dis- 


256  LETTERS. 

cipline,  than  to  be  shut  up  in  close  nurseries,  as  is  too 
often  the  case  with  children  in  our  country.  When 
will  our  countrymen  and  countrywomen  learn  true  wis- 
dom in  relation  to  life  out  of  doors  ? 

But  to  return  to  the  street,  from  which  I  started. 
At  the  other  extremity  of  it,  is  a  collection  of  magnifi- 
cent edifices,  among  which  are  the  palace  of  the  Prince 
of  Prussia,  the  Royal  Palace,  a  collossal  building,  the 
Museum,  having  a  beautiful  colonnade,  the  Guard- 
house, with  a  portico  in  front,  the  University,  an  im- 
mense structure,  the  Opera  House,  the  Arsenal,  heavy, 
yet  grand,  the  Academy  of  Arts,  and  I  can't  tell  how 
many  more,  on  a  similar  scale  of  magnificence  and 
architecture. 

Directly  in  front  of  the  palace  of  the  prince  of  Prus- 
sia on  the  one  hand,  and  the  University  on  the  other, 
is  a  monument  of  Frederick  the  Great,  said  by  some  to 
be  the  grandest  monument  in  all  Europe.  It  consists 
of  a  pedestal  of  granite  twenty-five  feet  in  height,  hav- 
ing on  each  side,  gro*ups  in  bronze  of  the  great  mili- 
tary chieftains  of  the  seven  years'  war,  on  foot  and  on 
horse,  all  the  size  of  life,  and  said  to  be  capital  portraits. 
And  besides  these,  the  portraits  of  several  of  Freder- 
ick's great  statesmen  are  introduced,  and  his  favorite 
musical  composer,  Graun.  Of  these  life-like  figures, 
all  represented  in  the  costumes  and  with  the  arms  of 
the  time,  there  are  thirty-one,  thus  making  this  monu- 
ment of  immense  importance,  in  a  historical  point  of 
view.  Beneath  these  figures  are  two  tablets  bearing 
the  names  of  eighty  of  the  most  distinguished  soldiers 
of  Frederick's  time.  On  the  third  side,  are  the  names 
of  sixteen  statesmen,  artists  and  scientific  men,  while 


LETTERS.  267 

on  the  fourth,  is  the  simple  inscription,  "  To  Frederick 
the  Great,  Frederick  William  III.,  1850  ;  completed  by 
Frederick  William  IV.,  1851." 

Above  the  figures  there  is  at  each  corner  a  female 
statue  representing  the  cardinal  virtues,  Prudence, 
Justice,  Fortitude  and  Temperance,  and  between  them 
are  bas-reliefs,  illustrating  different  periods  in  the  life 
of  the  great  Frederick. 

Surmounting  all,  is  the  equestrian  statue,  seventeen 
feet  three  inches  in  height,  and  the  monarch  is  repre- 
sented in  the  clothes  he  was  accustomed  to  wear,  with 
the  exception  that  a  mantle  of  ermine  is  thrown  over 
his  shoulders.  The  very  queue  is  given,  the  three-cor- 
nered hat,  and  even  the  stick  which  he  was  wont  to  carry. 

And  while  I  am  on  the  subject  of  statues,  I  might 
as  well  say  here,  that  there  are  several  others  in  Berlin, 
but  none  on  so  magnificent  a  scale  as  that  of  the  great 
Frederick.  Among  them  is  a  bronze  statue  of  Blucher, 
an  equestrian  statue  of  the  great  Elector,  Frederick 
William,  also  in  bronze,  and  marble  statues  of  Generr 
als  Bulow  and  Scharnhorst. 

The  streets  of  Berlin  are  wide,  and  cross  each  other 
at  right  angles,  and  the  uniformity  of  the  houses  in 
many  of  the  streets,  and  their  general  air  of  cleanness 
and  neatness  remind,  me  somewhat  of  Philadelphia. 
The  shops  are  brilliant,  and  have  furnished  me  with 
food  for  gazing  for  several  hours.  The  iron-work  of 
Berlin  is  very  beautiful ;  I  think  I  have  once  before 
alluded  to  the  origin  of  the  ornaments  of  this  kind, 
but  it  may  bear  repetition.  At  the  time  of  the  war 
between  France  and  Prussia,  the  ladies,  in  their  zeal 
for  their  country,  gave  their  jewels  towards  furnishing 
funds  for  the  expenses  of  the  State.  To  all  those  that 
17 


258  LETTERS. 

contributed  in  this  manner,  ornaments  in  Berlin  iron 
were  given  in  return,  bearing  this  inscription,  "  I  gave 
gold  for  iron,"  not  in  English  however,  but  in  German. 

This  morning  we  were  refreshed  with  letters  from 
home,  which  were  only  fourteen  days  in  coming  here, 
seeming  thus  to  annihilate  time  and  space.  We  have 
made  an  excursion  to  Potsdam  to-day,  about  fifteen 
miles  from  here,  our  English  friend  accompanying  us. 
It  is  called  the  Prussian  Versailles,  and  is  quite  a  large 
town,  containing  forty  thousand  inhabitants,  but  as 
we  went  there  merely  to  see  the  palaces,  I  shall  con- 
fine myself  entirely  to  them,  or  to  that  part  of  them 
which  particularly  interested  us,  as  being  associated 
with  the  memory  of  Frederick  the  Great. 

And  to  accomplish  seeing  these  with  the  least  pos- 
sible fatigue,  we  took  a  carriage  by  the  hour,  and  under 
the  guidance  of  a  respectable  "  valet  de  place,"  com- 
menced the  duties  of  sight-seeing  with  a  good  deal  of 
interest  and  enthusiasm.  And  first  we  went  to  the  "  Res- 
idenz"  or  royal  palace,  where  we  saw  only  the  apart- 
ments once  occupied  by  the  great  Frederick,  which 
remain  very  nearly  in  their  former  state.  The  large 
saloon  is  a  very  splendid  room,  liberally  adorned  with 
statues  and  ornaments  in  solid  silver,  the  frames  of 
the  chairs  and  sofas  being  also  silvered  over. 

In  a  small  room  there  is  a  table,  made  to  ascend  and 
descend  through  a  trap-door  in  the  floor,  and  here 
Frederick  often  dined  with  a  friend,  while  the  dinner 
was  served  without  the  presence  of  servants. 

His  writing-table,  blotted  with  ink,  his  piano,  music- 
stand,  and  a  piece  of  music  composed  by  himself,  and 
written  out  with  his  own  hand,  the  green  shade  he 


LETTERS.  259 

used  to  wear,  the  books  he  once  read,  all  in  turn  were 
eagerly  scrutinized  by  us. 

At  a  little  distance  from  the  town  commence  the 
gardens  of  Sans  Souci,  (meaning  without  anxiety  or 
care)  which  extend  for  miles  around.  Avenues,  lined 
with  lofty  trees,  closely  shorn  lawns,  bordered  with 
luxuriant  hedges,  ponds,  fountains  and  statues,  are 
seen  in  abundance  in  this  stately  garden.  The  palace 
itself  we  could  not  enter,  as  the  royal  family  is  at 
present  residing  there. 

It  is  not  a  large  building,  and  stands  at  the  top  of  a 
series  of  terraces,  on  which  grow,  under  glass,  the  fruits 
of  warmer  climates.  It  was  built  by  Frederick  himself, 
in  1745,  and  the  gardens  were  laid  out  under  his  own 
eyes.  In  a  sheltered  nook  are  the  graves  of  his  favor- 
ite dogs,  and  of  the  horse  that  carried  him  through  the 
greater  part  of  his  battles.  In  his  will  he  declared  his 
wish  to  be  buried  beside  them,  but  his  wishes,  undis- 
puted in  life,  were  not  attended  to  after  death,  and  his 
remains  repose  in  another  spot. 

The  celebrated  wind-mill  of  Sans  Souci  came  in  for 
a  share  of  our  observation,  and  for  fear  you  may  not 
know  the  history  of  it,  I  shall  relate  it  to  you.  This 
mill  is  only  separated  from  the  garden  of  Sans  Souci 
by  a  road,  and  Frederick  wanted  to  pull  it  down  that 
the  ground  on  which  it  stood  might  be  included  in  his 
garden,  but  the  bluff  old  miller  refused  to  give  it  up, 
and  affairs  were  carried  to  such  a  length  that  a  law 
suit  ensued,  which  was  decided  in  favor  of  the  miller, 
and  against  the  sovereign.  The  mill  was  small,  and 
Frederick,  after  losing  the  case,  had  the  magnanimity 
to  build  a  larger  one  on  the  site  of  the  old  one.  Within 
a  few  years,  the  descendant  of  that  very  miller,  having 


260  LETTERS. 

met  with  reverses,  decided  he  must  give  up  his  mill, 
and  he  offered  to  sell  it  to  the  late  king,  who  refused 
to  take  it,  saying  that  the  mill  now  belonged  to  history, 
and  was  therefore  a  kind  of  Prussian  monument,  show- 
ing that  the  rights  of  the  people  could  not  be  over- 
thrown, even  by  a  king,  and  he  gave  the  miller  money 
sufficient  to  release  him  from  his  embarrassment,  and 
to  enable  him  to  keep  the  cherished  mill. 

Some  of  the  fountains  in  the  garden  were  playing ; 
one  of  them  throws  up  a  stream  of  water  one  hundred 
and  thirty  feet  high.  The  machinery  which  makes 
these  waters  play,  is  in  the  town,  in  a  building  repre- 
senting a  Turkish  mosque. 

In  another  part  of  the  garden  stands  the  new  palace, 
an  immense  edifice  of  brick,  erected  by  Frederick  at 
the  end  of  the  seven  years'  war,  between  1763  and 
1769,  to  show  his  enemies  that  his  finances  were  by  no 
means  exhausted.  "  They  say"  it  contains  seventy- 
two  apartments,  but  we  had  neither  time,  strength  or 
inclination  to  go  through  them,  particularly  as  there  is 
said  to  be  nothing  remarkable  about  them,  except  the 
one  called  the  "  marble  hall,"  and  this  we  visited. 
The  walls  are  lined  with  marbles,  with  large  tablets, 
faced  with  every  variety  of  shell  and  minerals.  Some 
of  the  minerals  were  splendid  specimens. 

In  a  building  known  by  the  name  of  "  the  an- 
tique temple,"  in  the  rear  of  this  palace,  is  a  recum- 
bent statue  of  the  beautiful  Louisa,  late  queen  of 
Prussia.  She  is  represented  asleep,  her  arms  crossed 
peacefully  on  her  breast.  It  is  most  beautiful,  though 
I  cannot  say  the  attitude  exactly  pleases  me,  but  the 
face  is  exquisite.  The  expression  of  repose  is  perfect. 
It  was  done  by  Rauch,  the  Prussian  sculptor,  and  is 


LETTERS.  261 

said  to  have  cost  him  fifteen  years  of  thought  and 
study.  In  still  another  part  of  the  garden  of  Sans 
Souci,  there  is  a  villa,  built  by  the  present  king  when 
prince  of  Prussia,  called  Charlottenhof,  in  the  style  of 
a  house  in  Pompeii,  the  size  and  arrangement  of  the 
rooms,  following  as  nearly  as  possible,  the  Pompeiian 
plan.  The  bath-room  is  fitted  up  precisely  like  those 
found  in  ancient  Pompeii.  The  beautiful  fountains, 
the  statues  and  bronzes,  and  an  antique  altar,  came  from 
Herculaneum  and  Pompeii,  and  were  presents  from  the 
king  of  Naples. 

At  a  short  distance  from  Potsdam  lies  a  little  village 
called  the  Russian  colony.  It  consists  of  eleven  houses, 
built  in  true  Russian  style,  and  very  much  resem- 
bling Swiss  houses  with  wooden  galleries.  It  was 
built  by  the  late  king  for  a  party  of  Russians,  sent 
here  as  a  present  from  the  Emperor  of  Russia.  There 
is  a  beautiful  little  church,  having  one  large  dome  and 
two  smaller  ones,  an  imitation  of  the  Kremlin  at 
Moscow. 

Coming  back  to  the  town,  we  went  into  the  church 
of  the  garrison,  a  plain,  unpretending  church,  but  hav- 
ing great  interest  for  us,  and  for  all  the  world,  for 
under  the  pulpit  in  a  little  chapel  lie  the  mortal  remains 
of  Frederick  the  Great.  They  are  enshrined  in  a 
plain  metal  sarcophagus,  once  having  on  top  of  it  Fred- 
erick's sword,  but  this  was  carried  away  by  Napoleon, 
and  all  traces  of  it  are  lost.  And  now  over  the  en- 
trance to  the  tomb  wave  the  standards,  and  appear  the 
eagles  taken  from  the  French  armies  by  the  Prussians. 

I  believe  I  have  now  told  you  all  that  interested  us 
in  Potsdam,  though  I  find,  on  looking  over  it,  I  have 
not  said  any  thing  about  Voltaire.  Opposite  the  royal 


262  LETTERS. 

palace  in  the  town,  is  the  house  he  occupied  when  he 
played  "  toady"  to  Frederick  the  Great. 

It  was  evening  when  we  came,  and  long  past  the  din- 
ner hour  at  the  hotel,  so  we  went  to  a  nice  caf£  and 
got  our  dinner,  and  then  came  back  to  our  room,  for  I 
must  "  own  up"  to  being  somewhat  tired  after  the 
fatigue  and  excitement  of  the  day,  and  this  must  be 
my  apology  for  the  abrupt  termination  of  this  epistle. 


LETTER    LXXVI. 

Chamber  of  Art. — Picture  Gallery. — Sculpture  Gallery. — New  Museum. 
— Zoological  Collection. — Porcelain  Manufactory. — Pleasant  Meeting. 

BERLIN,  Sept.  22. 
MY  DEAR  F : 

We  have  devoted  to-day  to  the  "  lions"  of  Berlin, 
going  first  to  the  Chamber  of  Art,  at  present  in  the 
attic  story  of  the  royal  palace,  though  soon  to  be 
removed  to  rooms  in  the  new  museum,  which,  it  is  to 
be  hoped,  will  be  a  little  more  easy  of  access  than  the 
present  chambers,  for  steeper  stairs  I  never  went  up 
than  those  leading  to  it. 

Of  the  "  thousand  and  one"  things  collected  there,  I 
was  the  most  pleased  with  those  connected  with  associ- 
a*ions  of  the  great  Frederick,  or  that  had  some  partic- 
ular historical  reference.  And  first,  as  to  the  great 
monarch.  Behold  a  wax  figure  of  him,  wearing  the 
very  uniform  he  had  on  the  day  of  his  death,  the  coat 
looking  the  worse  for  wear,  the  scabbard  of  his  sword 
mended  with  sealing-wax  by  his  own  hands,  and  his 
shirt-sleeves  trimmed  with  very  dirty  looking  lace. 


LETTERS.  263 

His  cane,  his  flute,  and  even  his  pocket  handkerchief 
are  here,  the  last  torn  and  bearing  several  patches. 
We  were  shown  his  watch,  which  he  always  wound  up 
himself,  and  which,  neglected  the  last  day  of  his  life, 
by  a  singular  coincidence  stopped  at  the  very  moment 
of  his  death,  and  still  points  to  the  hour  of  his  depart- 
ure from  this  mortal  life,  twenty  minutes  past  two. 
There  is  a  cast  of  his  face  taken  just  after  his  death, 
and  the  bullet  is  shown  that  wounded  him  in  the  .bat- 
tle of  Rossbach  in  1760. 

And  now  let  me  think  what  else  I  saw.  Oh,  all  the 
stars  and  orders,  given  to  Buonaparte  by  the  different 
sovereigns  of  Europe,  the  black  eagle  of  Prussia  being 
conspicuous  among  them.  These  were  taken  by  the 
Prussians  as  trophies,  after  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  and 
were  found,  it  is  said,  in  Napoleon's  own  carriage, 
which  he  left  in  such  a  hurry  that  he  forgot  his  hat, 
which  is  also  shown  here.  I  can  well  imagine  the 
eagerness  with  which  the  Prussians  seized  upon  every 
thing  belonging  to  the  great  despoiler  of  their  country. 

Then  we  saw  the  "  orders"  that  had  been  given  the 
great  Blucher,  and  the  chair  of  Gustavus  Adolphus, 
and  the  pipes  of  the  father  of  Frederick  the  Great, 
who  established  a  smoking  club  that  held  its  meetings 
in  a  house  we  saw  at  Potsdam. 

We  no  longer  wondered  that  Buonaparte  called  Mu- 
rat  a  dandy,  if  he  had  many  dresses  as  fantastic  look- 
ing as  the  one  we  saw,  all  trimmed  off  with  gold  lace 
and  shining  with  finery. 

The  model  of  a  wind-mill  made  by  Peter  the  Great, 
while  working  as  a  ship-carpenter  in  Holland,  we  all 
stopped  to  look  at,  for  every  thing  connected  with  the 
nam  c  of  Russia  has  more  than  usual  interest  just  now. 


264  LETTERS. 

Luther  must  have  been  rich  in  beer-mugs,  for  we  saw 
another  of  his  in  this  collection,  and  of  a  goodly  size, 
too.  I  looked  with  great  interest  on  the  drinking  cup 
of  the  renowned  Baron  Trenck,  engraved  on  the  out- 
side by  himself,  while  in  a  dark  prison. 

One  of  the  "  extraordinary"  things  that  was  shown 
was  a  stone,  a  species  of  "  giode,"  which  on  being 
broken  open,  was  found  impressed  with  the  figure  of  a 
black  eagle,  the  coat  of  arms  of  Prussia.  The  cice- 
rone looked  indignant  when  I  said  "if  it  had  been 
found  in  Austria,  I  suppose  the  eagle  would  have  had 
two  heads,"  for  you  know  a  double  headed  eagle  is  the 
badge  of  Austria. 

We  saw,  too,  some  immense  topazes,  the  largest  in 
the  world,  which  makes  the  fourth  or  fifth  time  we 
have  seen  "  the  largest  topaz  known."  Then  came 
exquisite  carvings  in  wood  and  ivory,  cabinets  in  am- 
ber, rare  specimens  of  old  china,  ancient  paintings, 
weapons,  &c.,  and  curiosities  from  different  parts  of 
the  world,  altogether  too  numerous  to  be  mentioned 
here. 

In  the  rear  of  this  palace  are  some  houses  and  shops, 
glittering  with  every  thing  attractive,  at  which  I  took  a 
glance,  while  J.  went  on  to  the  post-office  with  letters. 

Next  we  went  to  the  picture  and  sculpture  gallery, 
inferior  to  those  at  Munich,  but  still  containing  many 
beautiful  things.  I  must  say  I  was  sorry  to  see  a  few 
paintings,  that  for  modesty's  sake  I  think  would  have 
been  far  better  left  out.  After  a  while  one  becomes 
accustomed  to  naked  figures,  and  looks  upon  them 
with  less  and  less  reluctance,  and  whether  this  is  a 
proof  of  "  educated  refinement"  or  not,  I  leave  for 
others  to  decide.  I  would  be  the  last  to  wish,  from 


LETTERS.  265 

any  prudish  notions,  to  have  beautiful  pictures  ex- 
cluded from  public  or  private  galleries,  because  the 
figures  were  more  or  less  after  the  fashion  of  Adam 
and  Eve  before  the  fall,  but  I  would  raise  my  voice  here 
and  elsewhere  against  having  pictures  exhibited  that  a 
daughter  would  blush  to  look  at  in  the  presence  of  her 
father,  or  a  wife  before  her  husband.  No  beauty  of 
form  or  expression  of  face,  no  rich  coloring  or  extrinsic 
charm,  ought  to  cover  the  heinousness  of  such  an 
offence,  for  it  strikes  at  the  root  of  all  that  is  pure  and 
lovely  in  the  human  character.  A  picture  which  from 
so-called  "  prudish  motives,"  a  scion  of  the  house  of 
Orleans,  in  that  country  too,  where  of  all  the  world 
there  is  the  least  of  what  could  be  termed  "  prudery," 
or  what  others  might  even  call  modesty,  refused  to 
have  in  his  collection,  was  "  luckily"  purchased  by 
Frederick  the  Great,  and  now  stands  in  a  prominent 
position  in  the  picture  gallery  of  Berlin,  and  I  say 
shame  on  the  gallery  that  admits  so  indecent  a  picture 
within  its  collection.  How  out  of  keeping  is  it  among 
Holy  Families  and  Crucifixions,  and  pictures  of  young 
and  innocent  children,  and  pleasant  family  groups,  and 
beautiful  scenes  of  nature !  Is  there  not  pure  food 
enough  in  the  ideal  and  real. world  for  the  artist,  with- 
out touching  on  subjects  that  should  be  forbidden  to 
the  thoughts,  to  say  nothing  of  the  eyes  ? 

The  entrance  to  the  Sculpture  Gallery  is  through  an 
imposing  circular  hall,  around  which  hang  some  antique 
tapestries,  worked  from  designs  by  Raphael,  and  orig- 
inally belonging  to  Henry  VIII.  of  England.  Among 
the  works  of  art  to  be  found  in  this  gallery,  I  shall 
merely  mention  one,  in  bronze,  called  "  the  Boy  Pray- 
ing," found,  it  is  said,  in  the  bed  of  the  Tiber.  The 


266  LETTERS. 

child  is  standing,  but  his  hands  are  raised  and  his  head 
thrown  back  in  an  attitude  of  devotion,  while  the  face 
is  expressive  of  supplication,  mingled  with  a  look  of 
holy  calmness  and  meekness.  The  face  is  that  of  a  boy, 
but  oh !  of  such  a  boy !  I  returned  again  and  again  to 
look  at  it. 

I  must  not  omit  to  say  that  before  the  entrance  of 
this  museum,  is  an  immense  basin  of  polished  granite, 
twenty-two  feet  in  diameter.  The  block  from  which  it 
was  formed  was  found  about  thirty  miles  from  Berlin. 
The  fineness  of  the  grain  is  equal  to  any  marble. 

In  the  rear  of  this  building,  is  the  new  museum,  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  edifices,  as  far  as  regards  the  in- 
terior, in  the  world,  the  walls  decorated  with  magnifi- 
cent frescoes,  and  the  ceilings  panelled  and  adorned 
with  gildings,  and  carvings,  and  gems  of  pictures. 

We  passed  quickly  by  the  collection  of  Roman,  and 
Grecian,  and  Etruscan  antiquities,  and  devoted  all  our 
time  and  attention  to  the  collection  brought  from  Egypt, 
for  you  can  easily  fancy  how  full  of  interest  this  would 
be  to  us,  coming,  as  we  so  recently  have,  from  that  land, 
cradle  of  the  arts  and  sciences.  Here  we  looked  upon 
mummies,  and  figures,  and  urns,  and  vases,  and  coins, 
brought  by  Leipsius  from  temples  and  tombs  we  visited 
and  found  emptied  of  their  rich  contents,  because 
brought  away  by  the  hand  of  the  despoiler.  Murray 
says  an  actual  temple  has  been  brought  from  Philse 
here,  the  parts  wanted  being  restored  and  painted  as 
in  the  original,  but  I  saw  very  little  that  looked  like  an 
ancient  temple,  and  very  much  doubt  whether  a  great 
part  of  it  was  ever  at  Philae.  If  he  had  said  it  was  a 
capital  imitation  of  an  Egyptian  temple,  he  would  not 
have  erred,  for  it  certainly  is  an  admirable  copy,  and 


LETTERS.  267 

would  give  one  an  excellent  idea  of  the  form  and  man- 
ner of  the  temples  in  that  country.  Next,  we  went  to 
the  Zoological  collection  in  the  University,  one  of  the 
best  collections  of  stuffed  birds  and  animals  in  the 
world,  to  say  nothing  of  thousands  of  insects,  snakes 
and  fishes  preserved  in  spirits,  which  imparted  rather  a 
"  rummy"  smell  to  the  gallery. 

After  dinner,  we  took  a  long  walk  to.  the  royal  manu- 
factory of  porcelain.  On  our  way,  I  saw  a  man  run 
across  the  street,  and  slap  J.  on  the  shoulder.  For  a 
second,  I  stood  bewildered,  all  my  old  fears  of  Austrian 
police,  and  strangers  seized  on  slight  pretences,  coming 
back  with  renewed  force,  but  I  looked  again,  and  saw 
the  parties  shaking  hands  very  cordially,  and  then  I 
found  it  was  Mr.  L.,  whom  we  met  last  winter  up  the 
Nile,  and  who  parted  from  us  at  Cairo.  You  must 
travel  long  in  a  foreign  land,  before  you  can  appreciate 
the  pleasantness  of  these  unexpected  meetings.  Mr.  L. 
accompanied  us  to  the  manufactory  and  back,  and  per- 
haps our  tongues  did  not  run  fast  on  the  way ! 

We  saw  most  beautiful  specimens  of  porcelain  at  the 
manufactory,  dinner  sets  and  tea  sets  that  would  make 
one's  eyes  shine.  The  transparencies  were  very  beauti- 
ful. You  remember  there  was,  at  one  time,  a  great 
rage  for  them  at  home,  but  within  the  last  few  years 
they  seem  to  have  been  lain  by.  They  are  "  all  the  go" 
here ;  you  cannot  pass  a  house,  even  one  of  moderate 
pretension,  without  seeing  one  or  more  of  these  trans- 
parencies hanging  at  the  windows. 

The  streets  of  Berlin  are  so  very  level  that  you  may 
walk  miles,  without  ascending  or  descending  a  foot,  and 
the  houses  are  mostly  of  brick,  stuccoed.  Carriage  hire 
is  very  cheap  here,  three  of  us,  yesterday,  going  to  the 


268  LETTERS. 

railway  station,  a  long  distance  from  our  hotel,  for 
twenty-five  cents  of  our  money. 

I  have  written  this  letter  at  different  intervals  to-day, 
and  in  rather  a  disconnected  manner,  and  I  am  not  sure 
but  you  may  think  it  dull.  Indeed,  I  fancy  all  my  let- 
ters, lately,  have  been  dry  and  prosy,  for  to  tell  the 
plain  truth,  I  am  rather  tired  of  writing  descriptions. 
I  must  confess  I  shouldt  like  to  sit  down  and  write  a 
long  gossipping  letter,  but  would  it  "  pay"  ?  (for  the 
postage,  I  mean.) 


LETTER    LXXVII. 

Charlottenburg. — Louisa  of  Prussia. — The  late  King. — The  Spree. — 
English  Chapel. — Disappointment. — Cathedral. — Difference  between 
Protestant  and  Catholic  Countries. 

BERLIN,  Sept.  24th. 
MY  DEXR  F. : 

I  sent  you  two  such  long  letters  yesterday,  that  there 
is  little  left  for  me  to  write  about  to-day,  and  to-morrow 
we  are  off.  We  made  a  delightful  little  excursion  yester- 
day to  Charlottenburg,  about  three  miles  from  here,  the 
road  lying  through  the  great  park  at  first,  and  after- 
wards through  a  long,  straggling  street,  lined  with  gar- 
dens and  country  houses. 

Beyond  the  village,  there  is  a  large  palace,  built  by 
Frederick  I.,  who  married  Sophia  Charlotte,  daughter  of 
George  I.  of  England,  (hence  the  name,  Charlotten- 
burg.) We  did  not  enter  the  palace,  for,  as  I  believe 
I  have  told  you  before,  we  have  forsworn  palaces,  unless 
they  have  some  special  historical  interest,  but  we  walked 


LETTERS.  269 

through  the  grounds,  which  are  prettily  laid  out,  and 
made  very  charming  by  the  meandering  of  the  Spree. 

Within  this  garden,  is  the  most  beautiful  little  Doric 
temple  imaginable,  and  within  the  temple  lie  buried  the 
beautiful,  the  interesting  Louisa  of  Prussia,  and  the  late 
King,  her  husband.  Contrary  to  royal  etiquette,  I  name 
the  Queen  first,  because  I  am  more  interested  in  her 
than  in  her  husband.  The  Queen  lies  in  the  same  atti- 
tude here  as  at  Potsdam,  only  there  she  is  represented 
as  asleep,  here,  as  dead.  Both  statues  are  by  the  same 
sculptor,  and  I  don't  know  which  I  like  best.  In  both, 
there  is  the  same  look  of  calm  repose  about  the  mouth, 
and  the  soft  shutting  of  the  eyes ;  in  the  first,  the  ex- 
pression of  the  face  is  of  one  who  qiiietly  and  sweetly 
sleeps,  while  that  of  the  other  speaks  of  a  soul  gently 
passed  away.  A  subdued  light,  from  a  window  of  col- 
ored glass,  falls  upon  the  exquisite  face,  and  the  fair 
hands,  folded  in  the  sleep  of  death,  and  beside  her, 
upon  a  similar  sarcophagus  of  marble,  reposes  the  form 
of  her  husband,  wrapped  in  his  "  martial  cloak."  His 
face  is  calm  and  quiet,  and  seems  to  say,  "  life's  troubles 
and  cares  are  over,  and  I  am  now  at  rest."  What  a 
magic  power  the  sculptor  has  !  Out  of  a  block  of  mar- 
ble, he  makes  a  figure,  so  instinct  with  life,  that  it 
almost  seems  to  breathe,  to  move. 

After  dinner,  we  took  a  long  walk  on  the  other  side 
of  the  Spree,  passing  through  streets  lined  with  nice 
houses,  the  lower  stories  of  which  were  shops,  present- 
ing a  brilliant  display  of  handsome  goods.  Perhaps  it 
would  not  sound  well  for  my  reputation  at  home,  to 
say  I  have  been  on  "  a  spree,"  since  I  have  been  here, 
but  I  can  say  I  have  been  on  the  Spree  several  times. 

We  came  back  to  our  hotel  by  a  new  way,  and  passed 


270  LETTERS. 

through  a  square,  on  one  side  of  which  was  an  immense 
theatre,  having  a  large  church  on  either  hand.  Rather 
a  novelty,  to  see  churches  and  a  theatre  side  by  side  ! 
We  have  not  visited  any  of  the  churches  of  Berlin,  be- 
cause we  were  told  that,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
monuments,  and  some  very  commonplace  pictures,  there 
was  nothing  in  them  to  see. 

All  day  to-day,  there  has  been  a  pouring  rain,  but  we 
were  determined  not  to  lose  our  church  for  the  weather, 
so  we  took  a  carriage,  or  drosky,  as  they  are  called 
here.  "When  any  one  at  the  hotel  wants  a  carriage,  the 
porter  steps  to  the  door  and  sends  forth  a  loud,  pro- 
longed whistle,  and  in  a  minute,  a  carriage  is  at  your 
service.  At  all  hours  of  the  day,  these  whistles  are 
heard  from  the  different  hotels  in  this  street. 

Judge  of  our  disappointment  on  arriving  at  the  Eng- 
lish chapel,  to  find  there  was  no  service,  the  clergyman 
being  absent  from  the  city !  We  thought  we  would  not 
spend  Sunday  without  attending  some  church,  so  we 
told  the  coachman  to  drive  us  to  the  Cathedral,  where 
Murray  says  the  "  Berlin  choir"  sing  Mendelssohn's 
Psalms  so  well  that  they  should  be  heard  by  all  lovers 
of  sacred  music,  but  when  we  arrived  at  the  church, 
prayers  were  over,  and  a  clergyman,  in  a  black  gown, 
was  preaching  to  a  quiet  and  attentive  audience.  Every 
seat  was  filled,  and  after  standing  up  as  long  as  I  was 
able,  I  stole  softly  out  into  the  passage  way,  and  sat 
down  upon  the  stairs  leading  up  into  the  gallery,  and 
there  I  opened  my  Prayer  Book  and  Bible,  and  read  the 
Psalms  and  lessons  for  the  day.  At  length  the  sermon 
was  over ;  there  was  a  general  stir  in  the  congregation, 
and  the  minister  came  down  from  the  pulpit  and  went 
within  the  chancel  rails,  where,  although  it  was  a  Prot- 


LETTERS.  271 

estant  church,  two  immense  candles  were  burning  upon 
the  altar,  over  which  hung  some  pictures.  There, 
standing  up  with  his  back  to  the  altar,  and  his  face  to 
the  congregation,  he  read  two  or  three  prayers  from 
a  book,  among  which  I  could  distinguish  one  for  the 
royal  family  and  the  Lord's  prayer.  Then  the  organ 
struck  up,  and  I  said  to  myself,  "  Now  comes  the  music." 
The  choir  sang  something,  I  don't  know  what,  but  it 
was  nothing  remarkable,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the  ser- 
vice was  over. 

We  returned  to  the  hotel,  and  I  have  not  been  out  of 
my  room  since,  -except  to  go  down  to  dinner.  J.  went 
to  another  church  this  afternoon,  but  I  cannot  say  I 
fancy  these  services  in  unknown  tongues,  so  I  staid  at 
home,  and  have  spent  the  hour  in  writing  to  you.  If 
there  is  one  time,  more  than  another,  when  the  heart  of 
the  traveller  turns  fondly  to  his  home,  it  is  on  Sunday, 
and  when  I  cannot  go  to  church,  I  sit  down  and  com- 
mune with  the  dear  ones  at  home.  Will  you  say  this 
is  wrong  ? 

As  we  went  down  to  dinner  to-day,  the  waiter  handed 
us  a  play-bill,  saying  there  was  a  great  opera  to-night, 
and  asking  us  if  we  would  like  to  go !  We  have  now 
seen  both  Catholic  and  Protestant  countries,  and  truth 
compels  me  to  say,  there  seems  but  little  difference  in 
the  manner  the  Sunday  is  kept  by  the  two  religions,  or 
if  there  is  a  difference,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  confess  that 
the  Protestants  seem  to  give  up  more  of  the  Lord's  day 
to  pleasure,  than  the  Catholics.  The  shops,  except  those 
for  cigars  and  tobacco,  are  closed,  it  is  true,  but  men, 
women  and  children  betake  themselves  to  gardens,  and 
different  places  of  resort,  and  end  the  day  by  dancing 
at  some  public  place,  or  going  to  the  theatre.  I  do  not 


272  LETTERS. 

say  this  in  condemnation,  but  merely  to  show  that  there 
is  no  apparent  difference  between  the  two  religions. 
And  now,  good  bye. 


LETTER    LXXYIII. 

Wittenberg. — Church. — Burial  place  of  Luther  and  Melancthon. — House 
of  Melancthon. — Statue  of  Luther. — University. — Oak  Tree. — Church 
where  Luther  preached. — Railway  Carriages. — Smoking. — Dessau. — 
Birthplace  of  Mendelssohn. — Halle. — Interesting  Day. — Historical  As- 
sociations.— Jena.  —  Weimar. — Erfurt.  —  Eisenach.  —  Castle  of  Wart- 
burg. — Reminiscences  of  Luther. — Exquisite  View. — Sebastian  Bach. 

FBANKFORT-ON-THE-MAINE,  Sept.  27th. 
Mr  DEAR  F. : 

I  give  you  fair  warning  this  is  going  to  be  a  "  tremen- 
dous" letter,  so  make  up  your  minds  accordingly. 

We  left  Berlin  on  the  morning  of  the  25th,  and  for 
two  days  we  have  been  running  about  after  Martin 
Luther,  visiting  two  or  three  places  particularly  asso- 
ciated with  his  memory.  Our  first  stopping  place  was 
at  Wittenberg,  which  has  been  called  the  Protestant 
Mecca,  so  many  thousands  of  Protestants  going  there 
every  year  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  place,  which  may 
be  called  the  cradle  of  the  Reformation.  When  we  left 
Berlin,  it  was  with  the  expectation  of  having  about  four 
hours  for  Wittenberg,  which  would  be  amply  sufficient 
for  viewing  the  celebrities  of  the  town,  but  when  we 
arrived  at  the  station,  we  found  no  train  left  earlier  than 
half  past  eight  in  the  evening,  which  was  giving  us  at 
least  five  hours  too  much.  But  there  was  no  alterna- 
tive ;  it  was  either  to  stop  or  to  go  on,  though,  in  fact,  we 
had  no  alternative  at  all,  as  the  train  had  gone  on, 


LETTERS.  273 

before  we  knew  we  should  be  obliged  to  stop  so  long  at 
Wittenberg. 

However,  we  determined  to  make  the  best  of  it,  so 
leaving  our  luggage  at  the  station,  we  walked  to  the 
town,  about  a  half  mile  distant,  and  going  to  the  Lon- 
don Hotel,  ordered  dinner  at  four  o'clock,  and  then 
strolled  out  to  see  the  town,  under  the  guidance  of  a 
man  who  could  speak  no  English  and  only  a  little 
French.  However,  with  helping  himself  out  pretty 
frequently  with  German,  he  got  along  quite  nicely, 
doubtless  to  his  own  satisfaction,  judging  from  the  price 
he  demanded  for  .his  services,  but  of  that  more  hereafter. 

Nearly  opposite  to  our  hotel,  was  the  church  in  which 
Luther  and  Melancthon  sleep  their  last  sleep,  and  not 
far  from  them,  are  the  tombs  of  Frederick  "  the  Wise," 
and  John  "  the  Steadfast,"  Electors  of  Saxony,  and 
friends  not  only  of  Luther  himself,  but  of  the  Reforma- 
tion also.  The  monument  of  Frederick  is  of  bronze, , 
and  is  a  beautiful  piece  of  work,  by  Peter  Yischer. 

Against  the  doors  of  this  church,  not  the  present  ones,, 
for  they  were  burnt  by  the  French,  Luther  hung  up  his 
celebrated  theses,  containing  ninety-five  propositions  or 
arguments  against  the  doctrines  of  the  Romish  church, 
and  these  arguments  he  offered  to  prove  against  all 
opposers. 

If  you  could  have  walked  through  the  town,  over 
those  horrible  round  stones  with  which  the  streets  are 
paved,  in  new  boots,  as  I  did,  I  am  sure  you  would  have 
wondered  how  my  thoughts  could  have  been  as  much 
with  Luther  as  they  were.  I  think  the  stones  were 
worse  than  those  of  Jerusalem,  and  they  were  bad 
enough,  in  all  conscience. 

We  passed  by  the  house  in  which  Melancthon  lived 
18 


274  LETTERS. 

while  at  Wittenberg,  and  saw  two  or  three  other  houses 
of  the  time  of  Luther,  and  picturesque  old  houses  they 
were,  too,  with  their  little  narrow  windows  and  high 
roofs. 

In  the  market  place,  is  a  bronze  statue,  by  Schadow, 
of  Luther,  under  a  canopy  of  cast-iron,  erected  in  1822, 
and  on  one  side  of  the  pedestal  are  the  words,  (in  Ger- 
man,) "  If  it  be  God's  work,  it  will  endure  ;  if  man's, 
it  will  perish,"  and  on  another  side,  "  A  strong  tower 
is  our  God." 

Next,  we  went  to  the  old  University,  once  one  of  the 
most  famous  in  Germany,  now  united  with  that  at  Halle. 
It  was  at  this  University  Shakespeare  tells  us  Hamlet 
studied,  and  here  Luther  was  Professor  of  Theology 
and  Philosophy.  His  room  in  the  old  building,  where 
he  lived  after  his  marriage,  remains  almost  entirely  in 
its  original  state,  and  you  may  judge  the  feelings  and 
emotions  of  our  hearts,  as  we  entered  Luther's  room. 
There  stood  the  very  table  at  which  he  was  accustomed 
to  sit  and  write ;  there  was  his  high-backed  wooden 
chair ;  there,  on  a  raised  platform,  was  the  bench  he 
occupied  when  delivering  some  of  his  lectures,  and 
there  stood  the  huge  stove,  made  after  his  own  direc- 
tions, and  adorned  with  statues  in  bas-relief  of  the  four 
Evangelists.  Against  the  window  of  small  panes  of 
glass,  was  the  chair  where  his  wife  used  to  sit,  occasion- 
ally looking  out,  I've  no  doubt,  to  see  what  was  going 
on  below.  Nor  must  I  omit  to  mention  a  curious  old 
portrait  of  Luther,  by  Cranach,  nor  his  drinking  mug, 
as  usual  of  goodly  proportions.  I  was  anxious  to  bring 
away  a  small  relic  from  the  room,  so  the  guide  cut  off 
a  snip  from  the  table,  and  took  a  half-broken  peg,  which 
formerly  helped  to  sustain  the  portrait  of  the  great  re- 


LETTERS.  275 

former,  and  gave  them  to  me,  with  many  injunctions  to 
secrecy,  so,  therefore,  you  must  not  tell ! 

Peter  the  Great  once  visited  this  chamber,  and  wrote 
his  name  in  chalk  over  the  door,  but  whether  it  was 
"  Peter"  or  "  Czar"  we  could  not  decide.  To  preserve 
the  royal  autograph,  a  glass  case  has  been  put  over  it. 

Just  beyond  the  gate  of  the  town,  is  an  oak  tree, 
planted  on  the  site  of  the  one  under  which,  on  Decem- 
ber 10th,  1520,  Luther  committed  the  daring  act  of 
burning  the  Papal  bull  issued  against  him  and  the  doc- 
trines he  promulgated. 

Back  again,  over  the  round  stones,  we  hobbled,  to 
another  church,  where  our  guide  left  us,  saying  it  was 
not  his  province  to  show  us  that.  And  how  much  do 
you  think  he  wanted  for  his  services,  that  had  not  oc- 
cupied him  two  hours  ?  Why,  no  less  a  sum  than  one 
thaler,  seventy-five  cents,  which  is  the  usual  pay  for  a 
whole  day's  services.  It  was  no  use  to  grumble ;  he 
only  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  said  it  was  his  price. 
Perhaps  the  round  stones  had  something  to  do  with  this 
exorbitance,  or  the  wooden  peg ;  if  the  latter,  I  have 
nothing  more  to  say  on  the  subject. 

In  this  last  church  is  a  bronze  font  of  very  beautiful 
workmanship,  by  Vischer,  and  at  this  font,  both  Luther 
and  Melancthon  were  in  the  habit  of  baptising.  In  the 
old  pulpit,  since  taken  down,  Luther  used  to  preach, 
and  there  is  a  singular  painting  by  Cranach,  in  which  he 
is  represented  preaching,  his  wife  and  young  son  being 
the  two  most  prominent  individuals  in  the  congrega- 
tion. She  seems  to  be  listening  to  him  with  the  greatest 
possible  attention,  a  goodly  example,  which  should  be 
followed  by  all  "preachers'  "  wives,  who  should  set,  in 
this  respect,  a  pattern  for  the  rest  of  the  congregation ! 


276  LETTERS. 

There  are  other  pictures  here  by  Cranach,  one  repre- 
senting the  Lord's  Supper,  wherein  the  artist  appears 
as  a  servant,  and  another,  the  Sacrament  of  Baptism, 
where  Melancthon  is  officiating  as  the  priest. 

We  finished  the  sights  of  Wittenberg,  which  is  but  a 
small  town  on  the  Elbe,  of  about  seven  thousand  inhab- 
itants, and  it  was  not  two  o'clock !  What  should  be 
done  with  the  remaining  six  hours  ?  Had  it  not  been 
for  those  excruciating  stones,  I  might  have  walked  around 
for  an  hour  or  two  longer,  but  I  could  better  endure 
doing  nothing  than  encounter  those  pavements.  It  was 
excessively  stupid  in  me  leaving  my  writing  desk  at  the 
station ;  with  that  I  could  have  defied  ennui  for  any 
length  of  time.  Fortunately,  in  a  little  bag  I  had  with 
me,  were  three  handkerchiefs  to  be  hemmed,  and  to 
these  I  addressed  myself  with  considerable  zest.  And 
when  I  raised  my  eyes  from  my  work,  directly  before  me 
rose  the  church  in  which  reposed  the  mortal  remains  of  the 
fiery,  earnest  Luther,  and  the  gentle,  loving  Melancthon. 
Then,  in  due  time,  came  dinner,  and  a  very  good  din- 
ner we  had,  and  at  reasonable  charges,  and  afterwards, 
in  the  deepening  twilight,  we  strolled  to  the  station, 
where  we  had  to  wait  about  an  hour  and  a  half  in  a 
room  in  which,  at  one  time,  I  counted  no  less  than  sev- 
enteen cigars  under  full  smoke.  Perhaps  this  was  not 
a  trial  to  my  eyes  and  nose,  but  it  was  too  cold  for  me 
to  wait  outside.  Fortunately  a  train  soon  stopped  on 
its  way  to  Berlin,  and  the  smokers  all  departed,  and  I 
eagerly  threw  open  doors  and  windows,  hoping  soon  to 
be  rid  of  the  noxious  vapors. 

At  last  our  train  came  along,  and  we  found  ourselves 
in  a  carriage  with  three  gentlemen,  one  asleep  in  a 
corner,  and  two  with  lighted  cigars  at  their  lips.  Have 


LETTERS.  277 

I  told  you  that  the  railway  carriages  are  not  large 
"  cars,"  as  at  home,  but  divided  off  into  small  apart- 
ments, as  it  were,  furnished  with  nicely  stuffed  seats, 
even  in  the  second  class  ?  In  fact,  the  greater  part  of 
the  second  class  carriages  here  are  nicer  than  our  first 
class  at  home.  As  there  is  no  prohibition  against 
smoking,  to  avoid  being  shut  up  with  a  number  of 
smokers,  we  have  generally  signified  to  the  conductor 
our  wish  to  be  alone,  or  where  there  would  be  no  cigars, 
and  a  small  fee  has  helped  him  wonderfully  to  under- 
stand our  poor  German  lingo,  and  thus  far  we  have 
contrived  to  have  a  carriage  to  ourselves.  But  when 
the  train  came  along  on  Monday  evening,  there  were  so 
many  passengers  we  were  obliged  to  be  put  into  a  car- 
riage with  the  three  gentlemen  I  have  already  men- 
tioned. 

No  sooner  did  we  seat  ourselves,  than  J.  let  down  the 
window  on  his  side,  and  I  the  one  on  mine.  This  ex- 
cited a  rebellion  at  once,  for  the  Germans  are  dreadfully 
afraid  of  the  air.  And  this  is  a  mystery  I  cannot  ac- 
count for ;  so  much  as  they  live  in  the  open  air,  spend- 
ing hours  in  gardens  and  parks,  yet  put  them  in  a 
diligence  or  railway  carriage,  and  venture  to  open  a 
window,  and  they  will  look  at  you  with  as  much  indig- 
nation and  horror  as  though  you  were  on  the  point  of 
committing  some  deadly  sin.  On  that  evening,  the 
sound  of  the  falling  window  roused  my  opposite  neigh- 
bor from  his  sleep,  and  he  and  the  two  others  began  a 
tirade,  of  which  the  long  and  short  of  the  matter  seemed 
to  be,  that  they  wanted  the  windows  closed.  I  mut- 
tered away  in  broken  German,  something  about  cigars, 
but  J.  came  out  boldly  in  his  mother  tongue,  with  the 
assertion  that  so  long  as  there  were  lighted  cigars  in  the 


278  LETTERS. 

carriage,  he  must  have  a  window  opened,  or  suffer. 
Either  the  German  or  the  English  produced  an  effect, 
for  one  cigar  was  instantly  thrown  away,  whereupon  I 
closed  the  window  near  me.  The  other  passenger,  I 
cannot  now  call  him  a  gentleman,  kept  puffing  away  at 
his,  with  unabated  vigor.  However,  by  degrees,  it 
dwindled  away,  and  I  flattered  myself  after  that  was 
gone,  he  would  go  to  sleep,  but,  would  you  believe  it? 
no  sooner  was  that  used  up,  than  he  deliberately  lit 
another,  and  so  on,  till  he  had  smoked  three  cigars ! 
And  all  the  time,  I  knew  the  cool,  fresh  air  was  very 
annoying  to  him,  yet  he  was  too  "  spunky"  to  give  up, 
and  we  could  not  breathe  in  such  an  atmosphere,  if  the 
window  had  been  closed. 

Fortunately,  in  about  two  hours,  we  arrived  at  Halle, 
and  just  as  we  were  getting  out  of  the  carriage,  I  found 
out  the  young  smoker,  for  he  could  not  have  been  more 
than  twenty,  understood  English !  Well,  I  hope  he 
profited  by  our  remarks  about  his  smoking. 

Oh !  I  must  not  forget  to  say  that  between  Witten- 
berg and  Halle,  we  passed  through  Dessau,  the  birth- 
place of  Mendelssohn,  whose  strains  of  surpassing  sweet- 
ness and  melody  have  so  often  enchanted  our  ears. 

We  drove  through  street  after  street  of  the  old  town 
of  Halle,  until  we  reached  the  hotel  of  "  the  Crown 
Prince,"  (for  the  German  hotels  are  famous  for  high 
sounding  names,)  where  we  arrived  little  after  eleven 
o'clock.  We  lighted  a  candle,  long  enough  to  see  to 
undress  by,  went  to  bed,  were  called  at  half  past  six,  at 
seven  had  our  breakfast,  and  at  eight  o'clock  were  once 
more  moving  along  on  the  railroad.  And  that  is  all  we 
know  of  Halle,  except  that  we  saw  some  quaint  looking 
houses,  as  we  drove  to  the  station,  and  had  a  glimpse 


LETTERS.  279 

of  the  University,  one  of  the  most  renowned  in  Ger- 
many. Hotel  keepers  must  make  money  on  their 
candles,  for,  although  ours  was  not  lit  a  half  hour,  we 
were  charged  full  price  for  it. 

Yesterday  was*one  of  the  most  interesting  days  we 
have  had  for  a  long  time.  Every  step  was  full  of  beauty, 
or  of  historical  and  thrilling  associations.  The  country 
was  varied  and  lovely;  now  we  were  amid  beautiful 
meadows  and  vineyards,  and  now  we  were  among  hills 
and  by  quickly  rushing  streams. 

Soon  after  leaving  Halle,  we  passed  near  the  spot 
where  Frederick  the  Great  gained  one  of  his  victories 
over  the  French  and  Austrians,  in  1757.  Next,  we 
reached  the  town  where  the  dead  body  of  Gustavus 
Adolphus  was  brought,  after  the  battle  of  Lutzen,  in 
1632,  and  also  where  Napoleon  slept  the  night  after  the 
memorable  battle  of  Leipsic. 

In  that  neighborhood  the  country  was  exquisitely 
beautiful,  hills  rising  around  us,  covered  with  vine- 
yards, the  impetuous  Saale  running  through  the  valley, 
along  which  towns  and  villages  were  clustered  in  pic- 
turesque confusion. 

Farther  on,  we  had  on  our  left  the  battle-field  of 
Jena,  where  Napoleon's  "  star"  shone  out  so  brilliantly, 
and  the  Prussians  were  so  disastrously  defeated. 
Then,  again,  there  was  something  exceedingly  attrac- 
tive in  the  manner  in  which  we  passed  from  the  pos- 
sessions Of  one  king  to  those  of  another.  At  one  time 
the  black  and  white  colors  of  Prussia  marked  the  sta- 
tions and  the  crossings ;  at  another  the  crown  of  Sax- 
ony appeared,  and  not  long  after  the  green  and  yellow 
(or  green  and  white,  I've  forgotten  which)  of  the  Grand 
Duchy  of  Weimar  varied  the  scene.  Then  came  Prus- 


280  LETTERS. 

sia  again,  and  afterwards  the  dominions  of  the  Duke  of 
Saxe-Coburg,  after  which  we  once  more  entered  Saxony. 
And  although  we  thus  passed  from  one  nation  to  another, 
neither  our  passports  nor  our  keys  were  demanded. 

Of  Weimar  we  could  see  but  little  from  the  railroad  ; 
it  is  the  residence  of  the  Grand  Duke  of  Saxe-Weimar, 
and  when  Schiller  and  Goethe,  Herder  and  Wieland,  and 
other  men  of  science  and  literature  lived  there,  it  was 
called  "the  Athens  of  the  North."  There,  Goethe, 
worshipped  as  a  genius  of  the  first  order  by  the  Ger- 
mans, died  in  1832,  and  till  recently  his  house,  exactly 
as  he  left  it,  has  been  shown  to  strangers,  and  thou- 
sands flocked  to  see  the  room  in  which  he  had  written 
so  many  beautiful  things. 

Not  far  from  Weimar  we  came  to  Erfurt,  associated 
in  our  minds  with  memories  of  Luther.  There,  in  the 
Augustine  convent,  he  passed  many  years  of  his  life, 
entering  it  as  a  monk  in  1505,  in  consequence  of  a 
vow  he  made  just  after  the  shock  caused  by  the  sudden 
death  of  an  intimate  friend,  who  was  struck  by  light- 
ning while  standing  at  his  side. 

About  here  the  country  assumed  a  different  aspect, 
dark  forests  rising  around  us,  called  by  the  old  and 
well-known  name  of  the  forest  of  Thuringia.  And 
side  by  side  with  the  forest  trees  there  were  lovely 
meadows,  and  pretty  glens,  and  sheltered  nooks,  and 
old-fashioned  looking  houses  and  villages,  that  gave 
their  own  charm  to  the  landscape. 

The  dominions  of  the  Duke  of  Saxe-Coburg  cover 
about  as  much  ground  as  one  of  our  counties  at  home, 
so  it  did  not  take  long  to  traverse  these,  and  we  were 
soon  at  Eisenach,  where  we  were  to  stop  three  or  four 
hours,  giving  us  ample  time  to  visit  the  castle  of  Wart- 


LETTERS.  281 

burg,  situated  on  a  lofty  eminence  over-topping  the  vil- 
lage. It  was  at  this  castle,  as  doubtless  you  know, 
that  Luther  was  kept  in  custody  for  nearly  a  year,  by 
his  friends  though,  and  not  by  his  foes.  Perhaps  you 
may  have  heard  the  story  a  hundred  times,  yet  I  must 
venture  to  repeat  it  to  make  my  own  narrative  clear. 
On  returning  from  the  Diet  at  Worms,  Luther  was 
seized  by  a  party  of  armed  men,  in  the  forest  of  Thu- 
ringia,  and  led  away  prisoner  to  the  castle  of  Wart- 
burg,  where  he  remained  from  May,  1521,  to  March, 
1522.  For  a  long  time  no  one  knew  what  had  become 
of  the  "  bold  Reformer,"  and  Luther  himself  was  igno- 
rant for  a  while  of  the  cause  of  his  seizure,  till  at 
length  it  came  out  that  the  whole  plan  was  matured  by 
the  Elector  of  Saxony,  with  the  view  of  keeping  him 
out  of  the  dangers  that  threatened  him. 

I  don't  know  when  I  have  enjoyed  a  walk  so  much 
as  I  did  that  yesterday  up  to  the  old  castle.  We  had 
ample  time  before  us,  so  there  was  no  need  of  being  in 
a  hurry,  the  weather  was  perfect,  and  the  country 
beautiful.  Just  as  we  were  leaving  the  station,  a  man 
came  up  and  offered  to  be  our  guide  ;  he  could  not 
speak  one  word  of  English,  and  was  quite  as  ignorant 
of  French,  but  all  the  information  we  wanted  was  con- 
cerning the  path,  and  that  he  could  give  us  by  his 
actions,  which  in  this  case  would  "  speak  louder  than 
words."  If  the  walk  had  been  ever  so  dull  it  would 
have  been  enlivened  by  him,  for  when  he  could  not 
make  us  understand  by  words,  he  would  resort  to  ges- 
tures, and  when  he  got  into  one  of  his  gesticulating 
moods,  it  was  "  as  good  as  going  to  a  play,"  as  A.  used 
to  say,  to  see  him.  For  my  part  I  have  not  laughed  so 
much  in  a  long  time,  and  once  when  the  ascent  was 


282  LETTERS. 

very  steep  he  came  up  to  me  and  offered  his  arm  with 
such  a  quizzical  air  and  look,  it  was  as  much  as  my 
self-control  could  accomplish  to  keep  from  laughing  in 
his  face. 

Eisenach  is  a  very  neat,  thriving  town  of  ten  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  and  I  was  surprised  to  see  so  many 
nice  looking  houses  and  prettily  arranged  shops.  To 
be  sure,  the  paving-stones  were  rather  sharp,  but  we 
soon  left  the  town  behind  us,  and  began  to  ascencT  the 
hill,  along  winding  paths,  under  lofty  trees,  the  dead 
leaves  rustling  under  our  feet  and  producing  that  pleas- 
ant sound  I  love  so  much  to  hear.  Up  and  up  we 
went,  crossing  little  glades  and  sheltered  nooks,  and 
winding  in  and  out  among  the  trees,  stopping  now  and 
then  to  get  a  peep  at  the  charming  valley  below. 

After  more  than  an  hour's  walk,  for  we  took  it  leis- 
urely, we  reached  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  went  at  once 
within  the  castle,  which  dates  back  as  far  as  the  twelfth 
century.  I  shall  not  tell  you  now  of  its  long  arched 
passages,  nor  its  antique  suits  of  armor,  but  proceed  at 
once  to  the  chamber  which  Luther,  as  "  Junker 
Georg,"  inhabited.  His  chair  and  bedstead  are  among 
"  the  things  that  were,"  having  been  carried  away  in 
piecemeals  by  visitors,  but  his  table  is  there  still,  and 
is  now  surrounded  by  a  strong  iron  band  to  prevent  its 
being  whittled  up.  On  the  wall  is  still  shown  the  spot 
where  he  threw  his  inkstand  at  the  head  of  the  devil, 
who  he  thought  was  tempting  him  to  evil.  As  I  saw 
here  another  of  his  big  drinking  cups,  I  could  not  help 
wondering  whether  this  apparition  of  the  evil  one  was 
just  after  dinner  or  not. 

No  description  can  do  justice  to  the  loveliness  of  the 
view  from  this  old  castle.  Masses  of  forest  trees, 


LETTERS.  283 

relieved  by  meadows  of  the  richest  green,  gently  swell- 
ing hills  and  sunny  vales,  peaceful  villages  and  a  wide 
spreading  country,  fertile  and  bright,  made  up  a  charm- 
ing prospect.  No  wonder  Luther  called  this  spot  his 
Patmos  ;  no  wonder  his  strong  feelings  and  vivid  imag- 
ination were  acted  upon  by  scenes  like  these.  Solitude, 
in  a  region  of  such  beauty,  could  not  be  solitude,  and 
even  imprisonment  might  be  borne  here  with  less  repin- 
ing than  usual. 

At  a  little  distance  from  the  castle  is  a  recess  in  a 
rock,  overgrown  with  luxuriant  moss,  and  this  still 
goes  by  the  name  of  "  Luther's  seat."  Here,  it  is 
said,  he  used  to  sit,  and  meditate,  and  pray,  and  a  more 
beautiful  spot  for  meditation  and  prayer  I  have  not 
seen  in  a  long  time. 

We  came  down  by  a  different  path  from  the  one  we 
went  up,  passing  through  a  narrow  defile,  rocks  tower- 
ing above  our  heads.  Occasionally  we  caught  glimpses 
of  the  fine  old  castle  above  us,  and  of  the  enchanting 
valley  beneath.  At  one  place,  where  the  rocks  rose 
precipitously  to  a  considerable  height,  our  guide 
pointed  to  a  white  stone  gleaming  out  from  the  trees 
below,  and  then  by  his  gestures  explained  to  us  that  a 
man  fell  from  those  rocks  into  the  vale  beneath,  and 
was  buried  in  that  little  inclosure.  Solemn  as  the  sub- 
ject was,  for  my  life  I  could  not  help  laughing,  to  see 
him  act  this  out. 

As  I  wanted  to  make  two  or  three  purchases  in  the 
town,  we  walked  again  through  some  of  the  streets, 
which  were  remarkably  clean.  The  women  we  met 
had  on  short  calico  cloaks  ruffled  round,  and  it  looked 
just  as  though  they  had  thrown  the  skirt  of  a  flounced 
dress  over  their  shoulders. 


284  LETTERS. 

Sebastian  Bach,  the  great  musician  was  born  in  this 
town.  We  had  a  nice  dinner  at  the  station,  and  before 
dark  started  for  Cassel.  But  I  cannot  finish  the 
account  of  this  journey  to-night,  for  I  am  too  tired,  so 
will  leave  the  remainder  for  to-morrow,  and  send  this 
off  as  it  is. 


LETTER    LXXIX. 

Cassel. — Hessian  Troops. — Slow  Train. — Broom-sellers. — Frankfort-on- 
the-Maine. — Hotel  de  Russie.— -Old  Town. — New  Town. — The  Jews. — 
Rothschilds'  House. — Suburbs. — Zeil. — Town  House. — Statue  of 
Goethe. — Museum. — Dannecker's  Ariadne. — Cemetery. — Mirrors  iu 
Windows. 

FRANKFORT,  Sept.  28. 
MY  DEAREST  F: 

My  last  letter  left  off  in  the  midst  of  the  account  of 
our  journey  here,  and  without  any  circumlocution,  I 
will  now  take  up  the  thread  of  my  narrative.  The 
distance  from  Eisenach  to  Cassel  was  sixty-six  miles, 
but  we  were  enabled  to  see  very  little  of  the  country, 
on  account  of  night  coming  on  so  soon  after  our  depart- 
ure from  Eisenach.  We  were  sorry  to  lose  any  part 
of  this  interesting  and  beautiful  country,  but  we  could 
not  arrange  it  so  as  to  arrive  at  Wiesbaden  on  Satur- 
day, unless  we  went  some  part  of  the  way  by  night, 
and  we  preferred  losing  the  sight  of  this  part  of  the 
country  to  any  other.  Had  we  known  as  much  day 
before  yesterday  as  we  knew  yesterday,  we  might  have 
stopped  at  Eisenach  all  night,  and  even  then  reached 
here  in  season  last  evening. 

We  arrived  at  Cassel  about  nine  o'clock,  and  went  to 


LETTERS. 

the  "  Hotel  of  the  king  of  Prussia,"  for  all  the  Ger- 
man hotels  that  are  not  "  golden"  or  some  other  kind 
of  "  ships"  or  "  stags"  or  "  eagles,"  are  named  for 
some  distinguished  individual.  It  was  too  late  of 
course  to  go  out  that  evening  to  make  any  observa- 
tions :  in  fact  we  had  had  quite  enough  of  sight-seeing 
for  one  day,  but  the  next  morning  we  were  out  in  good 
season.  Our  hotel  was  on  one  side  of  an  oval  "  place," 
in  the  centre  of  which  was  a  remarkable  echo,  as  we 
had  a  good  opportunity  of  proving,  for  just  as  we  were 
hesitating  about  screaming  out  to  try  the  echo,  some 
boys  at  play  set  up  a  loud  halloo,  which  reverberated 
in  grand  style  from  the  houses  around. 

Cassel  is  the  capital  of  the  dominions  of  Hesse-Cas- 
sel,  and  is  divided  into  what  is  called  the  old  and  the 
new  town,  in  the  old  town  the  streets  being  narrow, 
and  the  houses  having  high,  peaked  roofs,  while  in  the 
new,  every  thing  bears  a  different  aspect,  for  the  streets 
are  wide  and  the  houses  handsome.  The  gardens 
around  the  town  are  lovely,  but  do  you  know  where 
the  money  came  from  to  pay  for  all  this  loveliness  ? 
Well,  then,  I  will  tell  you.  You  remember  the  part 
which  the  Hessian  troops  bore  in  the  war  of  our  Revo- 
lution ?  They  came  from  this  very  province  of  Hesse- 
Cassel,  and  the  Elector,  Frederick  II.,  received  twenty- 
two  million  dollars  from  the  king  of  Great  Britain,  for 
the  twelve  thousand  troops  sent  to  America  to  fight  his 
battles. 

The  town  is  full  of  barracks  and  soldiers,  and  every 
time  I  passed  a  tall  grenadier  at  his  station,  I  wanted 
to  say,  "  I  suppose  you  are  a  descendant  of  the  men 
who  fought  against  my  country." 

We  left  Cassel  at  half  past  eleven,  and  although  it 


286  LETTERS. 

is  only  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  miles  here,  we 
were  ten  hours  getting  over  the  road,  having  the  mis- 
fortune of  being  again  in  the  slow  train.  It  actually 
seemed  to  me,  that  sometimes  when  we  stopped  at  a 
station,  we  were  never  going  to  move  on  again,  while 
there  really  seemed  nothing  to  cause  such  delay,  the 
men  connected  with  the  road  standing  around  with  their 
hands  in  their  pockets,  and  it  is  my  real  conviction  that 
we  made  those  long  stoppages  merely  to  pass  away  the 
time.  And  then  there  was  another  evil  connected  with 
this  train  ;  passengers  not  often  coming  by  it,  there  was 
no  provision  made  for  their  accommodation  at  the  sta- 
tions, and  at  some  of  them  it  was  impossible  to  get  any 
thing  to  eat,  and  had  it  not  been  for  an  accidental 
slice  of  bread,  and  a  German  sausage,  strongly  flavored 
with  garlic,  we  should  have  arrived  here  in  a  famishing 
condition. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  drawbacks  we  had  a  good 
many  enjoyments,  for  the  weather  was  pleasant,  and 
the  country  delightful,  though  not  so  full  of  historical 
associations  as  that  we  passed  through  the  day  before. 
We  saw  old  castles  and  towers,  and  venerable  looking 
churches,  and  pretty  villages,  and  thriving  towns,  and 
rich  meadows,  and  gently  rolling  hills,  and  quickly 
flowing  streams,  and  a  thousand  other  things,  that  tend 
to  make  up  the  elements  of  a  beautiful  landscape. 

From  this  part  of  the  country  come  the  personages 
known  in  our  country  and  in  England  as  the  German 
broom-sellers,  but  we  saw  none  of  them  on  the  road. 
They  were  probably  singing  elsewhere  their  song  of 
"  buy  a  broom." 

Notwithstanding  all  our  precautions  to  avoid  arriv- 
ing here  after  dark,  it  was  nine  o'clock  before  we  enter- 


LETTERS.  287 

ed  the  city,  so  we  could  see  nothing  of  the  country 
round  it.  We  came  to  the  Hotel  de  Russie,  a  splen- 
did hotel,  although  at  present  its  name  may  go  some- 
what against  it. 

Frankfort  is  as  you  know,  one  of  the  free  towns  of 
Germany,  and  therefore  has  its  own  independent  gov- 
ernment. It  lies  on  the  Maine,  and  has  seventy  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  a  tenth  of  which  are  Jews.  Like 
Cassel,  it  is  divided  into  an  old  and  a  new  town,  and 
no  two  towns  in  different  countries,  could  be  more  dis- 
similar than  these  two.  In  the  new  town  the  houses 
are  handsome,  the  shops  brilliant,  the  streets  wide  and 
clean,  while  in  the  old  town  every  thing  is  just  the 
opposite,  the  streets  being  so  narrow  that  the  projecting 
gables  of  the  houses  seem  to  meet,  the  shops  are  dark 
little  booths  filled  with  old  clothes,  &c.,  and  the  pav- 
ing-stones are  so  covered  with  mud  and  dirt  that  one  is 
obliged  to  mind  carefully  his  steps.  The  Jews  mostly 
reside  in  this  quarter,  and  at  one  time  were  compelled 
to  live  entirely  within  it,  and  th§y  were  not  allowed  to 
pass  in  or  out  after  a  certain  hour  in  the  evening,  but 
during  the  bombardment  of  the  town  by  the  French  in 
1796,  the  gates  of  the  Jews'  quarter  were  thrown  down, 
and  they  have  never  been  replaced  since,  and  the  Jews 
now  can  live  in  any  part  of  the  city  they  choose.  In  the 
old  quarter  of  the  Jews'  we  saw  the  house  in  which  the 
Rothschilds  were  born,  and  where  their  mother  recently 
died  at  an  advanced  age  of  one  hundred  and  three  years 
(I  think.)  It  is  one  of  the  most  old-fashioned  looking 
houses  I  ever  saw,  the  eaves  projecting  far  over  the 
other  part,  giving  it  a  dark  and  gloomy  appearance. 
The  suburbs  of  Frankfort  are  beautiful,  the  streets 
lined  with  trees,  and  each  house  standing  within  a  gav- 


288  LETTERS. 

den  prettily  laid  out.  Along  the  quay  too,  are  hand- 
some houses,  and  the  street  called  the  Zeil,  in  which  is 
our  hotel,  is  lined  with  palace  like  buildings. 

The  Cathedral  was  undergoing  repairs,  and  we 
could  not  gain  admission,  but  we  were  told  we  could 
go  to  the  top  of  the  spire,  and  have  a  fine  view  of  the 
country  around,  but  I  must  confess  I  did  not  feel  equal 
to  the  exertion  of  mounting  up  so  many  stairs,  and  for 
once  I  declined  the  prospect  of  an  elevation  in  life. 

Not  far  from  the  Cathedral,  is  the  Town  House,  where 
once  took  place  the  ceremonies  attending  the  election 
of  the  Emperors,  and  the  banquets  after  their  corona- 
tion, and  in  the  great  hall,  are  the  portraits  of  all  the 
Emperors  elected  here.  In  front  of  this  building  is 
a  fountain,  which,  at  the  time  of  an  election  of  a  new 
Emperor,  was  made  to  run  with  wine. 

We  saw  the  house  in  which  Luther  resided  while  in 
Frankfort,  and  also  the  one  where  Goethe  was  born. 
There  is  a  bronze  statue  of  Goethe  in  one  of  the  streets, 
by  Schwanthaler  of  Miinich,  and  worthy  of  the  name 
of  that  artist. 

Although  I  am  sick  of  museums,  I  was  tempted  into 
the  one  here,  by  being  told  I  should  see  many  "  rare 
specimens,  not  to  be  found  in  any  other  museum  in 
Europe,"  which,  by  the  way,  is  said  of  every  collection, 
I  believe.  However,  the  museum  here  is  really  a  very 
valuable  one, having  a  collection  of  stuffed  animals,  birds, 
&c.,  brought  from  Egypt,  Nubia  and  Abyssinia,  by  the 
"  enterprising"  traveller,  (all  travellers  are  "  enterpris- 
ing," I  believe,)  Ruppell,  who  was  a  native  of  Frank- 
fort. The  cabinet  of  minerals  is  good,  though  not  to 
be  compared  with  the  one  in  Vienna. 

In  a  garden  belonging  to  a  citizen  of  Frankfort,  is  the 


LETTERS.  289 

statue  of  Ariadne,  by  Dannecker,  a  German  artist. 
She  is  represented  riding  on  a  panther,  and  the  face, 
though  beautifully  chiselled,  has  a  hard  look  about  the 
mouth,  but  perhaps  in  keeping  with  the  character  of  the 
person,  for  a  woman  who  could  ride  a  panther  through 
a  forest,  without  the  slightest  apology  for  clothes  on 
her,  ought  to  have  nerve  and  resolution,  I  should  think. 
However,  whether  Ariadne  ever  did  exist,  and  whether 
she  ever  rode  a  panther,  are  questions  for  poets 
and  sculptors  to  settle,  not  for  me.  By  connoisseurs, 
this  statue  is  called  a  splendid  work  of  art,  and  the 
owner  of  it  paid  about  nine  thousand  dollars  for  it.  I 
should  think  he  was  in  a  fair  way  of  getting  his  money 
back,  however,  as  every  body  pays  a  fee  for  seeing  it. 

After  we  were  tired  walking  round,  we  drove  through 
the  environs  of  the  town,  and  stopped  at  the  new  ceme- 
tery, a  labyrinth  of  flower-decked  graves  and  crosses,, 
the  Protestants  here  using  crosses,  as  well  as  the  Ro- 
manists.    Here,  the  Prince  of  Hesse  Cassel  has  built 
a  mausoleum,  a  perfect  little  gem  of  Gothic  architec- 
ture. 

At  the  entrance  to  this  cemetery  is  a  house,  in  which 
the  bodies  are  placed  for  a  little  while,  to  avoid  all 
possibility  of  premature  interments.  The  corpse  is  laid 
on  a  bier,  and  attached  to  each  finger  is  a  small  cord, 
communicating  with  a  bell,  so  that  the  slightest  pulsation 
causes  the  bell  to  ring.  In  an  ante-chamber,  persons 
are  on  the  watch,  a  warm  bath  and  a  bed  are  always 
ready,  and  a  physician,  with  a  box  of  restorative  medi- 
cines, at  hand,  so  that  if  at  any  time  the  bell  is  heard, 
every  measure  may  be  promptly  taken  to  restore  life. 
I  can  assure  you  it  was  with  solemn  feelings  we  walked 
through  these  passages,  lined  with  biers,  the  little  cords 
19 


290  LETTERS. 

hanging  over  them,  and  although  there  were  no  bodies 
there  then,  I  shuddered,  for  fear  I  should  hear  a  bell 
ring.  How  awful  must  a  night  watch  be  there  !  And 
yet  what  an  excellent  arrangement  it  is  to  avoid  prema- 
ture burials. 

The  country  around  Frankfort  is  very  beautiful, 
backed  by  the  range  of  the  Taunus  mountains,  and 
watered  by  the  Maine.  I  should  really  like  to  see  more 
of  it,  but  there  is  no  time.  While,  at  times,  I  tire  of 
museums,  and  cabinets,  and  naked  people,  whether  in 
pictures  or  in  statues,  I  never  grow  weary  of  beautiful 
scenes,  but  turn  from  one  to  the  other  with  ever  in- 
creasing and  fresh  delight. 

In  this  city,  as  well  as  in  many  others  we  have  visited 
lately,  attached  to  the  windows  of  many  houses,  are 
little  looking-glasses  on  the  outside,  thus  enabling  per- 
sons within,  unseen  themselves,  to  see  all  that  is  going 
on  in  the  streets  below.  Although  this  evidently  be- 
trays the  curiosity  of  the  persons  using  the  mirrors,  is 
it  not  better  than  stretching  one's  neck  out  of  the  win- 
dow, if  one  really  must  see  the  passers-by  ? 

At  five  we  dined,  and  after  dinner  we  took  another 
:  stroll  through  the  Zeil,  but  in  nearly  all  these  German 
towns,  the  shops  are  closed  early  in  the  evening,  and 
the  people  are  off  to  cafe's,  theatres  and  gardens,  so 
there  is  not  much  to  be  seen  in  the  streets,  which  is 
•well  for  me,  as  thus  there  is  not  a  great  deal  to  tempt 
me  out  after  dark,  and  I  have,  therefore,  so  much  the 
.more  time  for  writing. 

To-morrow  morning  we  are  again  on  the  move.  To 
pack  and  to  unpack,  to  go  and  to  come,  to  see  and  to 
record  what  is  seen,  to  enjoy,  and  then  to  communicate 
our  enjoyments  to  others,  this  now  sums  up  the  history 


LETTERS.  291 

of  our  days.  May  their  record  be  as  interesting  to  you 
as  to  us !  And  I  can  assure  you  this  is  wishing  you  a 
great  deal. 


LETTER    LXXX. 

Heidelberg.  —  University.  —  Church  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  —  St.  Peter's 
Church. — Jerome  of  Prague. — Olimpia  Morata. — Euins  of  the  Old 
Castle.  —  Wolf-spring. — Mannheim. — The  Khine. — Worms. — Wiesba- 
den.— Kursaal. — Taste  for  Flowers. 

WIESBADEN,  Sept.  30th. 
MY  DEAR  M. : 

Here  we  are,  at  this  quiet  little  watering  place,  quiet 
just  now,  because  the  season  is  nearly  over ;  but  in  the 
summer,  I  am  told,  it  is  full  of  bustle  and  English  people. 
We  came,  however,  for  quiet  and  rest,  for  I  am  at  pres- 
ent a  little  weary,  going  about  so  constantly  as  we  have 
done,  ever  since  our  landing  at  Trieste.  But  two  or 
three  days  of  rest,  and  a  mineral  bath,  will  quite  restore 
me,  I  dare  say.  I  do  not  think  I  shall  drink  the  waters, 
for  I  am  somewhat  afraid  of  their  effect.  And  now  to 
go  back  a  day  or  two. 

We  left  Frankfort  yesterday  morning,. by  railroad,  for 
Heidelberg,  distant  fifty  miles,  and  through  the  most 
delightful  country  imaginable,  but  I  have  already  said 
so  much  about  scenery,  I  fancy  you  must  be  quite  tired 
of  my  monotonous  descriptions,  and  I  will  therefore 
merely  say,  that  our  road  lay  through  a  valley,  luxuri- 
ant with  vineyards  and  vegetation,  while  in  the  distance 
were  towering  hills,  many  of  them  crowned  with  ruined 
castles  and  fortresses. 

Heidelberg  lies  on  the  Neckar,  in  a  long,  narrow 


292  LETTERS. 

valley  between  the  river  and  the  mountains,  the  princi- 
pal street  running  parallel  with  the  river,  and  extending 
about  three  miles  in  length.  It  is  celebrated  for  its 
University,  one  of  the  oldest  in  Germany,  having  at 
present  about  seven  hundred  students.  We  passed  by 
the  church  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  where  many  of  the 
Electors  and  Counts  Palatine  are  buried.  The  Prot- 
estants and  Romanists  claim  an  equal  division  of  this 
church,  and  a  partition  wall  is  thrown  up  in  the  interior, 
and  the  services  of  the  two  religions,  so  essentially  dif- 
ferent, are  thus  carried  on  beneath  one  roof. 

On  the  door  of  the  old  church  of  St.  Peter,  Jerome 
of  Prague  attached  his  "  theses"  against  the  Papal 
religion,  and  large  congregations  assembled  in  the 
church-yard  to  hear  him  explain  the  doctrines  of  the 
Reformed  faith,  as  well  as  to  denounce  the  corrup- 
tions of  the  Romish  church.  Here,  too,  the  celebrated 
Olimpia  Morata  is  buried,  she  who  combined,  in  a 
peculiar  manner,  beauty,  and  intelligence,  and  ac- 
complishments, far  beyond  the  generality  of  her  sex,  at 
that  time.  Born  in  the  sunny  clime  of  Italy,  she  was 
obliged  to  flee  from  her  native  land,  on  account  of  her 
religious  sentiments,  and,  after  many  wanderings,  came 
to  live  in  Heidelberg,  where  she  gave  lectures,  oil  vari- 
ous subjects,  to  as  enlightened  an  audience  as  could  be 
found  any  where  in  Europe. 

The  chief  object  of  interest  in  Heidelberg,  to  every 
traveller,  is  the  ruins  of  the  old  castle,  formerly  the 
residence  of  the  Electors  Palatine,  but  now  the  most 
extensive  and  beautiful  ruin  in  all  Germany.  It  was 
built  in  different  ages,  and  in  different  styles,  and  this 
materially  adds  to  its  picturesque  appearance,  and  the 
ruined  turrets  and  battlements  overgrown  with  ivy,  the 


LETTERS.  293 

richly  carved  window  frames  and  niches,  the  suite  of 
magnificent  apartments,  once  occupied  by  the  beautiful 
Elizabeth  Stuart,  and  the  grounds  laid  out  in  exquisite 
taste,  constantly  appeal  to  the  eye  and  the  imagination 
of  the  lover  of  the  beautiful,  and  to  those  who  delight 
in  historical  associations.  And  then  the  views  from 
this  elevated  position  are  charming  in  the  extreme. 
Below,  lies  the  old  town,  belted  on  the  one  hand  by  the 
"green,  green  Neckar,"  and  on  the  other  by  wooded 
hills,  and  beyond,  stretches  a  lovely  country,  varied 
with  meadows  and  vineyards,  mountains  and  forests, 
and  far  away,  you  catch  glimpses  of  the  Rhine.  What 
an  exquisite  picture  it  was !  I  stood  against  the  ruined 
battlements,  shining  with  the  glittering  leaves  of  the  ivy 
dotted  over  with  little  white  blossoms,  among  which  the 
humming,  buzzing  bees  were  flying,  and  I  looked  now 
on  the  majestic  ruins  around  me,  and  now  on  the  lovely 
landscape,  stretching  far  away,  and  I  thought  earth  had 
few  scenes  more  enchanting  than  this.  On  such  days, 
when  the  air  is  so  pure,  and  everything  around  is  so 
lovely,  I  think  what  a  luxury  it  is  to  breathe  such  air  and 
to  behold  such  scenes,  and  then  my  thoughts  fly  quickly 
to  those  at  home,  who,  less  favored  than  we,  have  long 
sighed  in  vain  to  visit  foreign  lands,  and  to  revel  amid 
those  works  of  art  not  found  at  present  in  our  own 
country. 

About  two  miles  from  the  castle,  in  a  little  nook, 
among  the  forest-clad  hills,  is  the  "Wolf-spring,"  so 
called  from  a  pretty  little  spring  that  bubbles  up  from 
the  ground,  and  because  it  is  said  the  enchantress 
Jetta  was  here  torn  in  pieces  by  a  wolf.  A  great  many 
trout  are  kept  here  in  ponds  and  tanks,  and  while  we 
were  walking  about,  we  ordered  some  to  be  cooked  for 


294  LETTERS. 

us,  which,  with  a  mug  of  German  beer,  were  quite  ac- 
ceptable to  us,  after  our  long  ride. 

As  we  wound  round  and  round  up  the  hills,  and  then 
down  again,  back  to  the  railroad,  we  had  charming  views 
of  the  valleys,  watered  by  the  winding  and  rapid  Neckar, 
and  of  the  green  hills  beyond.  In  fact,  the  country  all 
around  Heidelberg  is  exceedingly  beautiful,  and  I  should 
think  one  might  spend  weeks  there,  without  exhausting 
the  delightful  walks  and  drives. 

Little  more  than  a  half  hour  on  the  railroad  brought 
us  to  Mannheim,  a  town  of  about  twenty-four  thousand 
inhabitants.  "We  drove  through  the  town,  along  wide 
streets  crossing  each  other  at  right  angles,  till  we  came 
to  the  quay  on  the  Rhine,  where  we  stopped  at  the  Hotel 
de  1'Europe,  to  be  ready  for  the  steamer  this  morning. 
As  I  stood  at  my  window  last  evening,  looking  out  upon 
the  moonlit  river,  I  grew  quite  "sentimental,"  at  the 
thought  of  all  that  had  transpired  in  the  thirteen  years 
that  have  elapsed  since  I  last  saw  that  mighty  stream. 
What  changes  in  thought,  and  feeling,  and  action,  have 
taken  place,  both  in  the  old  world  and  the  new !  How 
the  years  come  and  go,  and  what  traces  they  leave  be- 
hind of  their  rapid  march ! 

At  seven  o'clock  this  morning,  we  were  on  board  the 
steamer,  but  we  had  scarcely  started,  when  a  dense  fog 
came  up,  and  after  getting  aground  two  or  three  times, 
we  were  forced  to  drop  anchor,  and  wait  till  the  mist 
had  passed  away.  Our  sail  of  five  hours  to  Mayence 
was  any  thing  but  interesting ;  the  banks  were  low, 
while  the  distant  hills  were  enveloped  in  mists,  that 
totally  concealed  them  from  our  view.  Occasionally  we 
had  glimpses  of  pretty  scenes,  but  they  were  few  and 
far  between.  We  saw  Worms,  famous  for  that  Diet,  in 


LETTERS.  295 

1521^  before  which  Luther  appeared  to  proclaim  his 
adhesion  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Reformation,  declared 
at  that  very  session  of  the  Diet  to  be  heretical.  You 
have,  of  course,  read  his  declaration,  when  besought  by 
his  friends  not  to  appear  at  this  Diet,  "  that  he  would 
go  to  Worms,  even  though  there  were  as  many  devils 
within  its  walls,  as  there  were  tiles  on  its  houses."  A 
dangerous  place  it  must  have  proved,  if  this  comparison 
had  been  true,  for  the  roof  of  every  house  is  covered 
with  tiles. 

Arriving  at  Mayence,  we  did  not  stop  to  visit  its 
"  lions,"  but  proceeded  directly  to  this  place.  Finding 
no  train  coming  out  for  two  hours,  we  took  a  carriage 
here,  a  nice,  quiet  drive  of  about  an  hour  and  a  half, 
through  a  pleasant  country  of  vineyards  and  orchards, 
with  occasional  glimpses  of  the  Rhine,  to  vary  the  scene. 

Wiesbaden  is  the  capital  of  the  Duchy  of  Nassau, 
and  lies  in  a  pretty  valley,  within  an  amphitheatre  of 
hills.  It  is  a  larger  town  than  I  expected  to  see,  having 
about  fourteen  thousand  inhabitants.  At  least  two- 
thirds  of  the  houses  are  hotels,  bath  houses,  boarding 
houses,  <fec.,  for  its  hot  mineral  springs  attract  a  great 
many  visitors  here  every  year.  So  many  English  have 
come  here  the  last  few  years,  it  has  become  quite  an 
English  colony,  and  the  waiters  in  all  the  hotels,  and 
almost  every  petty  tradesman,  speak  our  language.  We 
are  at  the  Rose  Hotel,  and  as  soon  as  we  had  become 
settled  in  our  room,  (an  operation  that  takes  from  five 
minutes  to  an  hour,  according  to  the  distance  we  have 
come,  and  to  the  length  of  time  we  are  to  stay,)  we 
strolled  out  to  see  what  there  was  to  be  seen.  At  the 
upper  end  of  the  town,  are  villas,  and  gardens,  and 
parks,  forming  delightful  promenades,  which  were  full 


296  LETTERS. 

of  people,  every  body  seeming  intent,  like  ourselves,  on 
enjoying  this  beautiful  weather.  On  one  side  of  a 
square,  planted  with  noble  trees,  is  the  Kursaal,  which 
contains  rooms  for  eating,  reading,  dancing  and  gam- 
bling, and  is,  therefore,  I  need  not  say,  the  principal 
place  of  resort  for  the  generality  of  visitors.  Two  other 
sides  of  the  square  are  lined  with  colonnades,  filled  with 
little  shops  or  booths,  containing  pretty  wares  from  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  world.  Back  of  the  Kursaal,  is  an 
extensive  garden,  or  park,  prettily  laid  out  in  winding 
walks,  with  o'erarching  trees,  and  parterres  of  flowers. 
Roses  were  in  full  bloom,  and  delicate,  lovely  flowers 
scattered  about  in  rich  profusion,  and  although  hun- 
dreds were  walking  in  the  garden,  not  a  flower  was 
disturbed.  Judging  from  the  quantity  of  flowers  seen 
every  where,  I  should  say  the  Germans  are  excessively 
fond  of  them ;  every  cottage  that  has  an  inch  of  ground 
attached  to  it,  has  its  flower  bed,  and  where  there  is  no 
land  for  cultivating  flowers,  every  window  will  have  a 
half  dozen  flower-pots.  I  like  to  see  this,  for,  as  a 
general  thing,  where  there  are  flowers,  there  is  to  be 
found  a  species  of  intellectual  refinement  and  cultiva- 
tion. In  Germany,  music,  and  flowers,  and  paintings, 
seem  to  go  hand  in  hand,  and  the  artist-soul  finds  every 
where  something  to  fill  it  with  lofty  aspirations. 

During  the  summer,  an  excellent  band  plays  in  this 
garden  every  afternoon,  but  to-morrow  is  the  last  day 
of  the  "  season,"  and  after  that,  they  play  here  no  more. 
How  much  better  is  music  thus,  in  the  open  air,  than 
in  a  confined  hall,  as  at  our  watering-places  at  home. 

But  I  have  written  quite  enough  for  one  day,  so  I 
will  stop  for  a  while. 


LETTERS.  297 


LETTER    LXXXI. 

Quiet  Sunday. — Lutheran  Service. — English  Service. — Gardens. — Music. 
Platte. — Donkey  Riding. — Mineral  Bath. — Concert. — Kursaal. — Law 
against  Gambling. 

WIESBADEN,  Oct.  1st. 
MY  DEAR  P : 

One  year  ago  this  day,  we  sailed  from  New  York,  and 
how  much  we  have  seen  and  enjoyed  in  that  year,  so 
much  that  at  times  it  seems  a  dream.  This  day  has  been 
the  most  like  Sunday  of  any  we  have  had  for  a  long  time. 
To  be  sure,  we  are  in  a  very  quiet  part  of  the  town,  and 
for  any  noise  we  hear  in  the  street  or  in  the  hotel,  we 
might  readily  fancy  ourselves  in  a  country  village  at 
home.  We  have  been  to  church  all  day,  in  a  chapel  in 
one  of  the  palaces  of  the  Duke  of  Nassau.  It  is  first 
used  for  Lutheran  worship,  and  when  that  is  over, 
divine  service  after  the  order  of  the  English  church  is 
celebrated.  When'we  got  there  this  morning,  the  Lu- 
theran service  was  not  over ;  the  Lord's  Supper  was 
being  celebrated,  the  men  going  first  to  the  altar,  the 
women  afterwards,  each  one  kneeling  at  one  side  of  the 
chancel,  and  receiving  the  bread  from  one  priest,  and 
then  passing  round  to  the  other  side,  and  taking  the 
wine  from  another,  each  bowing  reverently  the  head  on 
receiving  the  elements.  No  woman  went  up  with  her 
bonnet  on,  each  one  leaving  it  on  the  seat  as  she  went 
out.  All  seemed  devout  and  solemn,  and  the  service, 
though  simple,  was  exceedingly  impressive.  The  priests 
wore  bands  and  a  blaqk  gown.  The  English  congrega- 
tion was  large,  and  the  service  exceedingly  interesting, 


298  LETTERS. 

for  it  is  such  a  comfort  to  attend  your  own  church  in  a 
foreign  land. 

After  service  this  afternoon,  we  walked  for  an  hour 
in  the  gardens  back  of  the  Kursaal,  where  the  band  was 
playing  most  delightfully.  As  we  strolled  along  some 
of  the  distant  walks,  the  strains  of  Beethoven  and  Von 
Weber  came  floating  on  the  air,  mingled  with  the  breath 
of  the  flowers  and  the  fragrance  of  the  pines.  Among 
the  groups  around  us,  there  was  not  one  face  we  had  ever 
seen  before,  but  the  "  dear,  familiar  strains"  carried  us 
far  away  from  foreign  faces  and  scenes,  and  made  us 
think  of  home  and  of  distant  friends,  till  the  tears  came 
gushing  to  our  eyes. 

Oct.  2d.  This  morning  we  took  a  donkey  ride  to  the 
"  Platte,"  a  hunting  seat  of  the  Duke  of  Nassau,  about 
four  miles  off  among  the  hills.  Our  path  lay  through 
the  forests,  the  wind  softly  sighing  through  the  branches, 
and  the  dead  leaves  rustling  under  our  feet.  How  did 
this  simple  act  of  mounting  a  donkey  call  up,  as  with 
the  mighty  wand  of  an  enchanter,  the  scenes  of  the 
past,  bringing  before  me  every  ride  I  ever  took  on  a 
donkey,  from  my  first  trembling  attempt  at  Alexandria, 
to  that  last  memorable  one  from  Hebron  to  Jerusalem ! 
This  morning  I  was  not  in  Germany,  but  in  Egypt  and 
Syria,  and  our  faithful  Hassan  was  by  my  side.  Had  I 
happened  to  have  met  a  camel,  the  illusion  would  have 
been  complete,  and  I  should  have  been  startled  to  find 
myself,  on  my  return,  at  Wiesbaden,  instead  of  Cairo, 
or  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile. 

This  hunting  seat  stands  thirteen  hundred  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  river,  and  commands  an  extensive  view, 
but  unfortunately  for  us  there  was  a  golden  haze  in 


LETTERS.  299 

the  air  which  effectually  prevented  us  from  seeing  any 
thing  at  a  distance.  The  house  is  very  nicely  furnished, 
most  of  the  furniture  being  framed  in  buck-horn. 

To-day  I  have  taken  a  mineral  bath,  and  drank  some 
of  the  water  ;  the  former  I  liked  much  better  than  the 
latter,  which  springs  up  from  the  ground,  at  a  tempera- 
ture so  near  boiling,  that  one  has  to  wait  awhile  for  it 
to  cool  before  it  can.  be  drank.  The  taste  of  it  has 
been  compared  to  weak  chicken  broth,  but  I  must  say 
it  is  a  kind  of  broth  I  should  not  care  about  taking 
often. 

This 'evening  we  have  been  to  a  concert,  and  I  need  not 
say  how  much  I  enjoyed  it.  Besides  the  instrumental 
music  we  had  two  of  Handel's  grand  choruses  given 
in  a  perfect  manner.  The  concert  over,  we  saw  many 
of  the  audience  wending  their  way  towards  the  Kursaal, 
to  witness  the  gambling  operations  going  on  there,  and 
perhaps  to  take  part  in  them.  I  believe  not  many 
strangers  have  been  here  three  days  without  visiting 
the  Kursaal,  but  I  did  not  feel  any  inclination  to  go  in, 
to  see  human  nature  under  such  an  aspect  as  it  must 
present  at  the  gaming  table.  These  tables  are  kept  by 
a  Frenchman,  who  pays  forty-three  thousand  florins  a 
year,  nearly  twenty  thousand  dollars,  and  it  is  said  the 
public  lose  there  every  year  more  than  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  And  this  money 
comes  from  foreigners,  for  the  Duke  of  Nassau,  while 
he  permits  these  gaming  tables  in  his  dominions  does 
not  allow  one  of  his  own  subjects  to  frequent  them 
otherwise  than  as  spectators.  The  law  is  so  stringent 
against  the  inhabitants  of  the  province  of  Nassau  gam- 
bling, that  the  first  offence  is  punished  with  a  fine,  the 


300  LETT  BBS. 

I 

second  with  imprisonment,  the  third  banishment  from 
the  country. 

A  few  miles  inland  from  Wiesbaden,  there  are  baths 
said  to  produce  such  an  astonishing  effect  upon  the 
skin  and  the  complexion,  that  the  bathers  fall  in  love 
with  themselves.  You  may  be  sure,  with  a  complex- 
ion none  of  the  clearest  at  the  best,  but  now  suffering 
under  the  effects  of  the  scorching  sun  of  the  East,  I 
have  been  strongly  tempted  to  try  these  baths,  but  on 
mature  reflection  I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  I  had 
no  time  to  spare,  even  for  the  important  purpose  of 
taking  care  of  my  complexion,  and  so  to-morrow  we 
go  back  to  the  Rhine. 


LETTER    LXXXII. 

The  Rhine. — Legends. — Vintage. — Steinberg. — Johannisberg. — Spark- 
ling Moselle. — Coblentz. — Ehrenbreilstein. — Royal  Family. — Stolzen' 
fels. — The  Lahn. — Monument. — The  Moselle. — The  Rhine. — Seven 
Mountains. — Bonn. — Dinner. — Bill  of  Fare. 

COLOGNE,  Oct.  4th. 
MY  DEAREST  F. : 

It  is  too  rainy  this  evening  for  me  to  take  a  stroll 
through  the  streets  of  this  old  town,  so  I  sit  down  to 
chat  with  you.  We  came  down  the  Rhine  Tuesday 
as  far  as  Coblentz,  and  it  was  a  day  full  of  interest  to 
us,  I  can  assure  you.  I  made  the  acquaintance  that 
morning,  of  an  interesting  English  family,  and  they 
were  as  enthusiastic  about  every  thing  to  be  seen  as  we 
were.  We  took  our  seats  among  the  luggage  in  the 
forward  part  of  the  boat,  where  we  could  have  a  good 
view  at  once  of  both  banks  of  the  river.  Every  tourist 


LETTERS.  301 

raves  about  the  Rhine  ;  every  American  who  stands  up 
for  "  his  own  country  against  the  world,"  institutes  a 
comparison  between  the  Rhine  and  the  Hudson,  greatly 
to  the  disparagement  of  the  former,  of  course,  or  his 
nationality  would  suffer.  For  myself  I  made  up  my 
mind  to  be  disappointed,  as  I  always  do  when  I  have 
heard  so  much  of  any  place,  but  on  the  contrary,  I  was 
charmed,  delighted  at  every  step  of  our  progress,  and 
I  don't  know  when  I  have  had  a  day  of  more  intense 
enjoyment  than  on  Tuesday.  And  yet  I  do  not  intend 
to  bore  you  with  a  long  and  rapturous  description  of 
the  beauties  of  the  Rhine.  They  have  inspired  the 
pen  of  hundreds  of  tourists,  and  the  pencil  of  thou- 
sands of  artists.  They  have  been  delineated  in  dozens 
of  panoramas,  which  have  been  shown  from  one  end  of 
the  world  to  the  other,  and  as  for  comparison  between 
the  Hudson  and  the  Rhine  I  should  say  the  two  rivers 
were  as  dissimilar  as  Mount  "Washington  and  Mont 
Blanc. 

One  charm  of  the  Rhine  is  its  variety ;  here,  the 
river  is  wide,  and  runs  between  meadows,  beautiful  as 
a  lawn  in  an  English  park  ;  there,  you  see  gently  swell- 
ing hills,  covered  to  the  very  top  with  the  luxuriant 
vine  ;  here  again,  the  river  is  narrow  and  rushes  along 
between  almost  precipitous  banks,  covered  with  dark 
forest  trees,  and  farther  on  the  trees  disappear,  and  the 
mountains  are  "  rock  ribbed"  and  craggy.  And  then 
there  is  such  a  number  of  castles,  a  few  entire,  the 
greater  part  in  ruins,  and  attached  to  each  is  some  tra- 
ditionary legend  ;  here  of  seven  fair  young  maidens, 
who  having  infatuated  half  the  knights  of  the  country, 
but  without  favoring  any,  were  changed  into  seven 
rocks,  which  often  endangered  the  navigation  of  the 


302  LETTERS. 

river,  as  much  as  the  hearts  of  the  cruel  ones  did  the 
knights  of  old,  and  there  the  legend  tells  us  of  another 
beauteous  fair  one,  who  was  beloved  by  two  brothers, 
the  fate  of  which  is  not  made  clear,  for  one  guide-book 
says  the  two  brothers  fought,  till,  I  believe,  they  killed 
each  other  like  the  Kilkenny  cats,  while  another  declares 
the  brothers  went  to  the  wars,  (I  don't  know  what  wars) 
where  one  was  slain,  while  the  other,  covered  with 
glory,  returned  to  claim  his  bride.  But  it  would  take 
pages,  merely  to  glance  at  these  legends,  so  I  will  say 
nothing  further  about  them,  particularly  as  they  are 
more  or  less  traditionary',  and  this  is  the  difference 
between  the  Rhine  and  the  Danube ;  there,  the  associa- 
tions are  historical,  here,  more  or  less  fabulous.  And 
yet  one  meets  all  along  the  Rhine,  remnants  of  true  an- 
tiquity, marks  left  by  the  Romans  of  their  wealth  and 
grandeur,  when  they  possessed  this  land  and  called  it 
a  part  of  their  empire. 

The  Germans  look  upon  this  river  with  as  much 
veneration  as  the  Egyptians  do  upon  the  Nile,  or  the 
ancient  Israelites  did  upon  the  Jordan,  and  often  speak 
of  it  as  "  father  Rhine,"  or  "  king  Rhine."  And  it  is 
a  noble  river,  nearly  a  thousand  miles  in  length,  and 
having  some  of  the  most  beautiful  scenery  the  world 
can  present. 

The  vintage  of  the  Rhine  is  famous  all  the  world 
over,  and  I  have  thought  a  few  remarks  in  relation  to 
it  might  not  be  uninteresting  to  you,  "  temperance 
folks"  though  you  may  be.  All  through  Germany,  the 
vine  is  planted  in  rows  along  the  ground,  running  up 
a  pole,  as  beans  do  with  us.  When  the  hills  are  steep, 
the  earth  is  terraced  up,  and  every  where  the  vine  is 
tended  with  the  most  vigilant  care.  The  first  cele- 


LETTERS.  303 

brated  vineyard  after  leaving  Hayence,  is  that  of  the 
Steinberg,  belonging  to  the  Duke  of  Nassau.  By  some 
it  is  considered  of  equal  value  with  the  Johannisberg, 
and  k  is  said  the  culture  of  it  requires  even  greater 
care  and  expense.  It  consists  of  one  hundred  acres, 
and  the  wine  from  it  is  held  in  such  estimation,  that  in 
1836  a  cask  of  it  containing  about  six  hundred  bottles, 
was  sold  for  twenty-five  hundred  dollars. 

Next  comes  the  Johannisberg  vineyard,  the  property 
of  Prince  Metternich,  though  like  the  other,  once 
belonging  to  monks.  The  vineyard  covers  about  sev- 
enty acres,  arid  no  trees  are  allowed  upon  it,  for  fear  of 
depriving  the  vines  of  the  rays  of  the  sun.  The 
grapes  are  kept  on  the  vine  till  they  are  more  than 
ripe,  and  every  grape  that  falls  to  the  ground,  is  picked 
up  with  a  fork  made  for  that  purpose.  In  good  years 
the  vineyard  produces  about  thirteen  hundred  bottles, 
and  the  wine  has  been  sold  as  high  as  five  dollars  and 
a  half  a  bottle,  wholesale  price,  the  purchasers  gener- 
ally being  royal  personages.  Near  Coblentz  a  wine  is 
made,  called  "  the  sparkling  Moselle,"  said  to  be  equal 
in  flavor  to  Champagne,  while  the  price  of  it  is  much 
lower. 

We  arrived  at  Coblentz  between  two  and  three 
o'clock  Tuesday  afternoon,  and  immediately  took  a  car- 
riage and  started  off  to  see  the  town  and  the  country 
around.  Coblentz  is  an  old  town,  and  lies  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Rhine  and  the  Moselle,  and  'from  its  sitiia- 
tion  was  called  Confluentes  by  the  Romans.  The  coun- 
try around  is  surpassingly  lovely,  watered  by  the  two 
rivers,  which  wind  along  among  fertile  fields  and  flour- 
ishing vineyards.  The  water  of  the  Moselle  is  blue, 
that  of  the  Rhine  green,  and  each  retains  its  own  color 


304  LETTERS. 

for  a  long  time  after  they  join,  till  at  last  the  "  blue 
Moselle'.'  is  lost  in  the  green  Rhine. 

"We  crossed  the  Rhine  by  a  bridge  of  boats,  and 
went  up  to  the  fortress  of  Ehrenbreitstein,  whose 
frowning  ramparts  had  been  seen  from  a  long  distance. 
It  is  called  the  Gibraltar  of  the  Rhine,  and  is  one  of 
the  strongest  fortresses  in  Europe.  While  we  were 
waiting  for  an  officer  to  accompany  us  around  the  ram- 
parts (for  no  one  can  visit  the  fort  without  the  surveil- 
lance of  a  guard,  for  fear  drawings  may  be  taken  of 
the  plan  of  the  fortifications)  I  amused  myself  with 
seeing  the  soldiers  drill. 

Ehrenbreitstein  (I  assure  you  it  requires  an  effort  to 
write  the  word)  stands  on  a  rock  about  five  hundred 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  river ;  it  is  defended  by  four 
hundred  pieces  of  cannon,  and  has  magazines  capable 
of  containing  food  for  eight  thousand  men  for  ten  years, 
and  cisterns,  which  can  hold  water  enough  for  three 
years. 

But  the  warlike  appearance  of  this  fort  had  not  half 
the  charm  for  me  as  the  beautiful  landscape,  seen  from 
that  elevated  position.  The  town  below  us,  tlje  lovely 
valley  of  the  Moselle,  the  castle  crowned  hills  of  the 
Rhine,  the  sunny  slopes  covered  with  vineyards,  the 
meadows  green  and  bright,  the  villages  dotted  here  and 
there,  church  spires  peeping  from  the  trees  in  every 
direction,  all  formed  a  scene  of  exquisite  beauty.  We 
counted  -no  less  than  twenty-two  towns  and  villages 
scattered  over  the  country. 

As  we  recrossed  the  bridge  of  boats,  we  met  a  royal 
turn-out,  and  had  the  honor  of  seeing  the  Prince  of 
Prussia  and  his  wife,  and  the  young  prince  their  son, 


LETTERS.  305 

heir  apparent  to  the  throne,  and  bearing  the  royal  name, 
Frederick  William. 

We  then  drove  along  the  banks  of  the  Rhine  to 
the  castle  of  Stolzenfels,  where  we  had  another 
magnificent  view  of  the  charming  country  around. 
We  were  told  the  castle  contained  some  fine  paint- 
ings and  suits  of  armor,  and  moreover  had  the  honor 
of  being  occupied  by  her  majesty,  Queen  Victoria, 
in  1845,  but  none  of  these  things  were  sufficient  to 
tempt  us  to  exchange  the  splendid  view  from  without 
for  the  prospect  within.  Opposite  Stolzenfels  the  river 
Lahn  empties  into  the  Rhine,  and  opens  before  us  a 
lovely  valley,  fit  to  be  chosen  for  a  scene  in  Eden. 
And  this,  I  should  say,  is  another  delightful  charac- 
teristic of  the  scenery  along  the  Rhine,  the  succession 
of  valleys  constantly  opening  before  you,  now  showing 
a  peaceful  vale,  very  green,  and  fresh,  and  bright,  and 
now  allowing  you  to  peep  up  a  narrow  glen,  deeply 
shaded  by  trees. 

Not  till  the  thickly  gathering  shades  of  evening  pre- 
vented us  from  seeing  any  more,  did  we  return  to  our 
hotel  and  allow  ourselves  time  for  dinner.  The  next 
morning  we  took  a  walk  around  the  town.  The  only 
thing  I  saw  approaching  to  costume  was  that  the  young 
girls  wore  a  sizeable  dagger  through  the  braids  of  their 
hair. 

I  have  been  in  cleaner  towns  than  Coblentz,  and 
more  pleasant  smelling  ones  too,  but  notwithstanding 
these  drawbacks,  I  rather  enjoyed  a  walk  through  the 
streets.  The  houses  are  so  antique,  the  churches  are 
so  rich  in  historical  associations,  and  ever  and  anon 
come  such  lovely  glimpses  of  the  country  beyond,  that 
your  interest  is  constantly  kept  up.  In  the  square, 
20 


306  LETTERS. 

in  front  of  the  old  church  of  St.  Castor,  (I'm  sure  I 
don't  know  what  saint  that  is)  there  is  a  monument, 
erected  by  the  French  in  1812,  to  commemorate  the 
invasion  of  Russia  by  the  French,  bearing  an  inscrip- 
tion to  that  effect.  When  the  tables  were  turned,  and 
the  Russians  came  here,  their  commander  caused  the 
following  to  be  engraved  in  French  under  the  original 
inscription :  "  Seen  and  approved  by  us,  the  Russian 
Commandant  of  the  town  of  Coblentz,  January  1st, 
1814."  Rather  spicy  that. 

The  bridge  built  over  the  Moselle  commands  a 
charming  view  of  the  valley  of  that  river.  On  one 
side  of  the  bridge  is  the  house  where  Prince  Metternich 
was  born,  and  on  the  other,  is  the  old  Town  Hall,  the 
original  castle  of  the  Electors  of  Treves,  an  ancient 
building,  erected  in  1280. 

At  noon  we  went  on  board  the  steamer,  and  came  on 
to  this  city.  As  a  general  thing,  the  scenery  is  not  so 
fine  between  here  and  Coblentz,  as  between  Coblentz 
and  Mayence.  The  banks  are  lower,  and  the  country 
more  monotonous,  but  still  abounding  in  pretty  scenes, 
and  picturesque  looking  towns  and  villages,  many  of 
which  existed  in  the  time  of  the  Romans.  About 
twenty  miles  from  here,  however,  is  a  cluster  of  moun- 
tains known  by  the  name  of  "  the  seven  mountains," 
one  of  which,  Drachenfels,  has  been  immortalized  by 
Byron.  Here  the  scenery  is  remarkably  grand,  every 
turn  disclosing  "  some  fresher  beauty  varying  round," 
•while  almost  every  summit  is  crowned  by  a  castle. 

At  Bonn,  not  far  from  Cologne,  is  a  celebrated  Uni- 
versity, founded  in  1818  by  the  King  of  Prussia.  Here 
Prince  Albert  was  a  student,  but  a  higher  honor 


LETTERS.  307 

belongs  to  the  town,  that  of  having  given  birth  to 
Beethoven. 

We  dined  on  board  the  steamer,  and  as  I  have  never 
given  you  the  "  bill  of  fare"  of  a  German  table  d'hote, 
I  will  make  up  for  that  omission  now.  First  came 
soup,  rather  weak,  then  boiled  beef,  from  which  the 
goodness  had  been  all  extracted,  by  having  been  boiled 
for  the  soup.  This  beef  was  served  up  with  potatoes 
and  pickled  beets,  and  after  that  came  boiled  bacon, 
with  peas  mashed  fine,  and  that  peculiar  combination 
of  cabbage  and  some  sort  of  dressing  known  as  "  sauer- 
kraut." These  having  disappeared,  fresh  fish  came  on, 
attended  by  potatoes  and  mutton  chops,  and  followed 
by  a  pudding  with  sweet  sauce.  Do  not  think  however 
that  dinner  was  over,  for  after  that,  roast  hare,  salad 
and  stewed  plums  made  their  appearance,  and  for  all 
these  different  dishes  you  were  allowed  but  one  knife 
and  fork,  for  if  you  put  them  on  your  plate  to  be  car- 
ried away,  they  were  coolly  taken  off  and  laid  on  the 
table  by  your  side.  Last  of  all  came  the  fruit,  grapes 
and  pears,  almonds  and  raisins.  Those  who  talk  about 
Americans  "  bolting"  their  food,  should  see  Germans 
eat.  Knife  and  fork  are  used  indiscriminately,  and  the 
food  disappears  in  a  marvelously  short  time. 

I  can't  write  any  more  now,  but  must  leave  the  story 
of  this  renowned  city  untold  till  to-morrow. 


308  LETTERS. 


LETTER    LXXXIII. 

Cologne. — Bad  Smell. — Eau  de  Cologne. — Church  of  Santa  Maria. — 
St.  Peter's  Church. — Rubens. — Marie  de  Medici. — Cathedral. — St.  Ur- 
sula.—Town  Hall.— Deutz. 

COLOGNE,  Oct.  5th. 
MY  DEAR  F. : 

To-day  we  have  devoted  to  this  city,  and  a  quaint 
old  place  it  is,  some  of  its  streets  being  scarcely  wider 
than  those  of  an  Eastern  town.  A  few  of  the  streets 
have  a  narrow  side-walk,  about  a  foot  and  a  half  wide, 
but  as  the  steps  of  the  houses  intrude  on  that  small 
space,  our  progress  was  marked  by  a  succession  of 
dodges,  first  on  to  the  walk,  then  back  into  the  street, 
and  so  on,  in  a  variety  by  no  means  pleasing,  as  the 
streets  are  none  of  the  cleanest.  And  here,  once  for 
all,  I  must  say,  that  for  unpleasant  odor  I  think  Co- 
logne can  compete  with  any  place  we  have  ever  been 
in.  I  don't  wonder  some  of  the  inhabitants  were  led 
to  making  "  Eau  de  Cologne,"  to  compensate  somewhat 
for  the  noxious  smells  of  the  town.  At  present  there 
are  no  less  than  twenty-four  manufacturers  of  it  here, 
and  I  believe  all  claim  to  be  descendants  of  "  Jean 
Maria  Farina,"  the  original  inventor.  As  I  could  not 
buy  of  all,  without  ruining  my  purse,  and  overloading 
my  trunk,  I  selected  one  of  the  "  veritable"  establish- 
ments, and  bought  a  box  containing  six  bottles,  which, 
if  it  perform  safely  the  voyage  across  the  Atlantic,  I 
shall  be  happy  to  distribute  among  you,  according  to 
your  respective  merits. 

Cologne  is  the  largest  and  wealthiest  city  on  the 
Rhine,  and  has  a  population  of  one  hundred  thousand. 


f 


LETTERS.  309 

It  is  said  to  have  been  founded  by  the  Romans  under 
Marcus  Agrippa,  and  to  have  been  named  by  Agrippi- 
na,  mother  of  Nero,  Colonia  Agrippina.  In  time,  the 
latter  part  of  the  name  was  dropped,  and  the  former 
changed  into  Cologne.  Even  now,  the  city  shows 
many  marks  of  its  ancient  origin,  fragments  of  walls 
and  of  gateways  being  met  in  different  parts  of  the 
town.  The  church  of  "  Santa  Maria  in  Capitolio"  is 
said  to  occupy  the  site  of  the  capitol  of  the  Roman 
city,  and  to  be  nearly  a  thousand  years  old.  After 
having  looked  at  this  as  long  as  we  cared  to,  we  pro- 
ceeded to  St.  Peter's  church.  Here  is  the  font  in 
which  Rubens  was  baptized,  and  here  is  the  painting 
by  that  artist,  of  the  Crucifixion  of  St.  Peter,  with  his 
head  downwards,  according  to  the  tradition  concerning 
the  manner  of  his  death.  The  painting  hanging  over  the 
altar,  however,  is  a  copy  of  that  by  Rubens,  though  for  a 
fee  of  fifteen  groschen  (thirty-seven  and  a  half  cents) 
the  sexton  will  turn  it  round  and  show  the  original  pic- 
ture, but  the  expression  of  the  face  and  the  figure  of 
St.  Peter  was  so  painful  to  me  I  had  no  disposition  to 
look  at  it  farther.  I  could  not  help  noticing  the  differ-  ' 
ence  in  the  manner  of  the  sexton  on  approaching  the 
altar,  and  in  coming  away  from  it.  When  he  passed 
it  in  going  behind  to  turn  the  picture,  he  knelt  very 
devoutly,  but  when  he  found  he  was  not  to  have  his 
accustomed  fee,  he  quite  forgot  tojbow  the  knee  as  he 
returned,  and  his  face  bore  any  thing  but  a  look  of 
pious  resignation  at  his  disappointment. 

In  the  very  house  where  Rubens  was  born  in  1577, 
died  Marie  de  Medici  in  1672.  Her  heart  is  buried  in 
the  Cathedral  here,  but  her  other  remains  were  carried 
to  France. 


310  LETTERS. 

| 

And  now  what  shall  I  tell  you  of  the  glorious  old 
Cathedral  of  Cologne,  begun  more  than  six  hundred 
years  ago,  but  never  yet  finished  ?  Indeed  for  hundreds 
of  years  it  remained  untouched,  and  was  fast  assuming 
the  appearance  of  a  ruin,  until  within  the  last  few 
years,  when  a  new  impulse  was  given  to  the  work  of 
completing  the  edifice,  and  the  King  of  Prussia  has 
offered  to  give  between  thirty  and  forty  thousand  tha- 
lers  a  year  towards  the  funds  necessary,  until  it  is 
finished.  It  is  supposed  more  than  three  million  dol- 
lars will  be  required  for  its  completion. 

Thus  far  it  is  a  noble  specimen  of  Gothic  architecture, 
more  than  five  hundred  feet  long,  two  hundred  and  thirty 
wide,  and  the  height  of  the  nave  is  one  hundred  and 
seventy  feet.  The  pillars  dividing  the  nave  from  the 
aisles  are  of  great  size  and  beauty,  and  the  effect  of 
the  interior,  even  in  its  present  unfinished  state,  is  ex- 
ceedingly grand  and  imposing. 

The  choir  is  large  enough  to  form  a  church  of  itself, 
and  has  some  of  the  most  beautiful  windows  of  stained 
glass  I  have  ever  seen.  Within  this  church  is  the  fa- 
mous shrine  of  "  the  three  Kings  of  Cologne,"  or  the 
magi  who  went  with  gifts  of  "  gold,  frankincense  and 
myrrh"  to  the  infant  Saviour.  I  know  not  whether  it 
is  pretended  Cologne,  at  that  time,  stood  in  "  the  East," 
and  that  these  kings  went  from  here,  or  whether,  by 
some  miraculous  agency,  the  good  people  of  Cologne 
got  possession  of  their  mortal  remains,  but  this  I  know, 
the  skulls  of  the  so-called  kings  of  Cologne  are  shown, 
in  a  shrine,  elaborately  adorned  with  jewels  and  pre- 
cious stones  to  the  amount  of  one  million  of  dollars. 
To  see  this  shrine,  the  sum  of  more  than  one  dollar  is 
demanded,  but  as  I  am  never  particularly  fond  of  see- 


LETTERS.  311 

ing  skulls,  even  when  offered  to  the  sight  gratuitously, 
you  may  be  sure  I  did  not  care  enough  about  seeing 
these,  to  pay  such  an  exorbitant  fee.  We  were  quite 
willing,  however,  to  pay  a  moderate  fee  to  ascend  to  the 
gallery  within  the  choir,  where  we  could  look  down 
upon  the  edifice  below,  and  go  out  upon  the  roof,  from 
which  we  could  form  an  excellent  idea  of  the  size  and 
height  of  the  church,  when  finished,  and  command  a 
magnificent  view,  both  of  the  city  and  the  country 
around.  The  city  sweeps  around  the  bank  of  the  river, 
or  perhaps  it  would  be  more  proper  to  say,  the  river 
sweeps  around  the  city,  in  a  semi-circular  form,  and 
from  the  number  of  spires  and  towers,  this  might 
be  called  the  city  of  churches.  The  country  around  is 
very  level,  and  the  Rhine  flows  peacefully  along  among 
green  fields,  while  at  a  distance  up  the  river,  "  the 
seven  mountains"  are  distinctly  seen. 

How  many  times,  the  last  few  days,  have  I  repeated 
the  words  of  Byron, 

"  Adieu  to  thee,  fair  Rhine !  a  vain  adieu ! 
There  can  be  no  farewell  to  scenes  like  thine  ; 
The  mind  is  colored  by  thy  every  hue ; 
And  if  reluctantly  the  eyes  resign 
Their  cherished  gaze  upon  thee,  lovely  Ehine ! 
'Tis  with  the  thankful  glance  of  parting  praise. 
More  mighty  spots  may  rise — more  glaring  shine, 
But  none  unite  in  one  attaching  maze 
The  brilliant,  fair  and  soft,  the  glories  of  old  days." 

How  true  it  is,  though  we  say  "  adieu,"  there  really 
is  no  "  farewell,"  to  certain  scenes,  for  they  leave  a 
lasting  impress  upon  the  mind.  And  thus  it  will  be 
with  the  beauties  of  the  Rhine  ;  forever  are  they  passed^ 
away  from  my  external  vision,  but  fresh  and  fair  they 
will  long  remain  to  the  mind's  eye.  Gloriously  beauti- 


312  LETTERS. 

ful  scenes  are  presented  by  this  fair  earth  of  ours ; 
would  they  were  better  appreciated  every  where  by  the 
eye,  the  heart,  and  the  soul ! 

A  church  in  Cologne  that  receives  a  great  deal  of 
attention  from  relic  lovers,  is  that  of  St.  Ursula.  The 
legend  informs  us  that  Ursula  was  the  daughter  of  an 
English  king,  who  left  her  native  land  with  a  train  of 
eleven  thousand  virgins,  to  make  a  pilgrimage  to  Rome. 
On  their  return  from  Rome,  they  were  all  murdered  at 
Cologne  by  the  savage  Huns,  and  their  bones  having 
been  carefully  preserved,  are  exhibited  in  the  church 
which  bears  the  name  of  St.  Ursula.  But  as  I  said 
before,  I  am  not  particularly  fond  of  seeing  bones,  so 
we  did  not  see  the  far-famed  relics  of  St.  Ursula  and 
her  eleven  thousand  virgins. 

The  old  Town  Hall  is  an  interesting  building,  not 
only  from  the  style  of  its  architecture,  but  for  the  events 
that  have  taken  place  within  its  walls.  I  like  these  old 
Gothic  buildings,  for  they  appeal  strongly  to  my  love  of 
the  picturesque  and  the  beautiful. 

Having  walked  about  for  several  hours,  we  drove 
round  the  city,  to  get  a  good  general  view.  We  went 
over  the  bridge  of  boats,  fourteen  hundred  feet  long, 
that  connects  this  city  with  Deutz,  and  from  the  oppo- 
site bank  could  command  a  view  of  all  that  part  of  the 
town  that  lies  on  the  Rhine,  extending  three  miles  along 
the  river,  the  time-honored  walls  of  the  Cathedral  rising 
conspicuously  over  all.  Returning  to  this  side  of  the 
river,  we  made  the  complete  circuit  of  the  city, 
passing  by  innumerable  fortifications.  The  country 
is  very  level,  and  seems  to  be  one  vast  vegetable  garden, 
and  I  am  sure  I  can  see  no  excuse  for  people  starving 
in  this  neighborhood,  or  being  even  stinted  for  food. 


LETTERS.  313 


LETTER    LXXXIV. 

Down  the  Rhine. — Rain. — Arnhem. — Amsterdam. — Peculiar  Features  of 
Holland.  —  Windmills. — Amsterdam.  —  Quaintness. — Canals.  —  Head- 
dress.— Museum. — Palace. — Pleasant  Meeting. 

AMSTERDAM,  Oct.  7th. 
MY  DEAR  FRIENDS  : 

How  we  pass  "  from  one  nation  to  another,  from  one 
kingdom  to  another  people."  We  often  breakfast  in 
the  dominions  of  one  king,  and  dine  in  those  of  another, 
and  we  pass  so  quietly  from  one  to  the  other,  no  fuss 
being  made  about  passports  or  luggage,  that  it  is  only 
from  our  maps  we  know  we  have  made  the  transit. 

We  were  called  at  quarter  before  five  on  Friday  morn- 
ing, to  take  the  steamer  down  the  Rhine,  and  a  dark 
morning  it  was,  too,  while  the  rain  fell  in  torrents. 
Fortunately,  we  had  passed  the  finest  scenery  on  the 
Rhine,  and  therefore  we  bore  the  rain  with  more  equa- 
nimity than  we  could  have  mustered,  had  we  been  amid 
grand  or  lovely  views.  We  were  in  the  steamer  thir- 
teen hours,  all  which  time  there  was  literally  nothing 
to  be  seen,  but  the  rapid  river,  with  its  low  banks 
dammed  up  in  many  places,  to  prevent  inundation.  I 
was  obliged  to  stay  in  the  cabin  nearly  all  the  time,  as 
the  rain  fell  incessantly.  There  were  few  passengers, 
and  nothing  to  amuse  me  ;  still  with  books  and  maps, 
with  sewing  and  sleeping,  I  contrived  to  pass  the  day, 
and  perhaps  its  quiet,  after  all,  was  not  an  unpleasant 
change,  succeeding,  as  it  did,  so  many  days  spent  in 
constant  sightseeing. 

We  arrived  at  Arnhem  at  seven  o'clock,  but  it  was 
quite  too  wet  for  me  to  go  out.  I  could  see  the  town 


314  LETTERS. 

was  lit  with  gas,  as  we  went  from  the  boat  to  the  hotel. 
We  left  Arnhem  by  railroad,  this  morning  at  seven,  and 
arrived  here  about  ten,  the  distance  being  fifty-eight 
miles.  That  unfortunate  rain  followed  us,  so  that  we 
had  to  catch  glimpses  of  the  surrounding  country  as 
we  could.  Canals  intersected  the  country  in  every 
direction,  while  countless  windmills  spread  out  their 
broad  arms  on  every  side.  These  windmills  answer  a 
double  purpose,  for  they  not  only  grind  corn,  but  they 
act  as  pumps,  many  of  them  having  water  wheels  at- 
tached to  them,  by  which  water  is  raised  into  the  canals, 
thus  keeping  the  low  land  dry  and  fit  for  cultivation. 

Undoubtedly  you  have  not  forgotten  what  your  geog- 
raphy tells  you,  that  Holland  does  not  lie,  like  other 
countries,  above  the  surface  of  the  sea,  but  below  it,  the 
lowest  ground  being  twenty-four  feet  below  high-water 
mark,  and  even  thirty,  when  the  tide  is  driven  high  by 
the  winds.  Such  a  country  can  be  preserved  from  the 
inroads  of  the  sea,  only  by  the  most  untiring  diligence 
and  industry,  so  that  the  Dutch  have,  from  necessity, 
been  obliged  to  be  so  constantly  on  the  alert  as  to  well 
merit  the  appellation  of  "  the  most  industrious  people 
in  the  world." 

And  now  behold  us  in  our  quarters  at  the  "  Hotel 
des  Pays-Bas,"  where  we  were  refreshed  by  a  comforta- 
ble breakfast,  and  cheered  by  letters  from  home,  that 
we  found  awaiting  us  at  the  banker's.  Now  we  are  off 
to  see  the  lions,  and  the  result  of  my  observations  I 
will  give  you  this  evening. 

Evening.  I  scarcely  know  what  to  tell  you  of  this 
strange  city,  so  unlike  is  it  to  the  generality  of  cities 
we  have  visited.  Canals  intersect  the  streets  in  every 
direction ;  in  fact,  it  is  all  streets  and  canals,  canals  and 


LETTERS.  315 

streets,  each  street  having  a  canal  in  front  and  in  the 
rear,  the  canals  bordered  with  trees,  the  houses  being 
of  brick,  many  of  them  in  quaint  styles  of  architecture. 
In  fact,  every  thing  about  Amsterdam  is  quaint  and 
odd.  I  don't  know  two  words  that  better  express  the 
characteristics  of  Amsterdam,  than  quaintness  and 
oddity.  Some  travellers  think  it  like  Venice,  but  the 
chief  similarity  between  the  two  cities  seems  to  me,  that 
both  are  intersected  by  canals,  in  short,  made  up  of 
canals,  if  one  may  so  speak.  I  have  not  time,  however, 
to  enter  into  the  points  of  similarity,  or  difference  be- 
tween the  two  cities,  so  hasten  on.  As  I  said  before, 
every  thing  in  Amsterdam  is  quaint.  It  strikes  you 
with  a  feeling  of  freshness,  perfectly  delightful  to  the 
hackneyed  traveller.  The  canals,  with  their  queer 
looking  barges,  the  succession  of  bridges  spanning  the 
canals,  the  streets,  one  so  like  another,  that  it  is  diffi- 
cult at  times  to  tell  where  you  are,  the  neat,  fresh  look- 
ing servant  girls,  in  their  nicely  fitting  caps  with  quilled 
borders,  the  singular  costumes,  the  cleanliness  seen  in 
every  thing,  these,  and  a  thousand  other  things,  new 
and  strange,  meet  you,  and  challenge  your  admiration, 
at  every  step.  One  kind  of  head-dress,  peculiar  to  Hol- 
land, I  must  mention  more  particularly,  it  is  so  utterly 
unlike  any  thing  I  have  seen  before.  Around  the  head 
is  a  wide  fillet  of  gold,  having  on  each  temple  a  large 
rosette,  also  of  gold ;  over  this  is  worn  a  cap  of  lace, 
often  of  the  very  richest  quality.  I  saw  one  of  these 
head-dresses  that  was  worth  five  thousand  dollars.  It 
was  a  sort  of  heir-loom  in  the  family,  and  was  worn  as 
a  part  of  every-day  attire,  both  in  the  house  and  the 
streets,  I  must  confess  these  head-dresses  of  gold  and 


316  LETTERS. 

of  fine  lace,  -seemed  rather  incongruous  with  wooden 
shoes,  as  I  saw  them  more  than  once  to-day. 

Amsterdam  is  situated  at  the  confluence  of  the  river 
Amstel  with  an  arm  of  the  Zuyder  Zee.  It  has  about 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  inhabitants,  of 
whom  one-tenth  are  Jews.  The  whole  city  is  founded 
upon  piles,  and  this  caused  Erasmus  to  say,  "  he  had  at 
length  reached  a  city  whose  inhabitants,  like  crows, 
lived  on  the  top  of  trees." 

Our  first  visit  was  to  the  Museum,  or  Picture  Gallery, 
where  we  found  a  rich  collection  of  paintings,  most  of 
them  of  the  Dutch  and  Flemish  schools,  and  almost 
every  one  a  masterpiece  in  its  way.  With  the  histori- 
cal pictures,  I  was  particularly  well  pleased,  not  only 
for  being  gems  of  art,  but  for  the  light  they  threw  upon 
varied  passages  in  the  history  of  the  Dutch  nation. 

Next,  we  turned  our  steps  towards  the  Palace,  a  large 
edifice  of  stone,  standing  upon  nearly  fourteen  thousand 
piles,  driven  seventy  feet  deep  into  the  ground.  For- 
merly, it  was  used  as  a  sort  of  state  house,  latterly,  as 
a  residence  for  the  royal  family.  In  the  centre  of  the 
building  is  a  magnificent  hall,  lined  with  white  marble, 
one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  long,  fifty-seven  wide,  and 
one  hundred  high.  It  is  adorned  with  the  most  exqui- 
site bas-reliefs.  Interested  as  I  was  in  the  different 
rooms  in  this  palace,  and  the  historical  associations  that 
clustered  around  each,  nothing  pleased  me  more  than 
the  charming  view  from  the  roof,  taking  in  the  quaint 
city,  with  its  picturesque  gables,  the  wide  canals,  with 
their  avenues  of  green  trees,  the  surrounding  country, 
with  its  fresh '  looking  meadows,  intersected  in  every 
direction  with  canals,  and  dotted  with  windmills,  and 
at  a  distance,  the  waters  of  the  Zuyder  Zee  sparkling, 


LETTERS.  317 

gleaming  in  the  sunlight,  all  forming  a  picture  of  varied 
beauties,  exceedingly  delightful  and  refreshing  to  the 
eye. 

On  our  way  home,  we  met,  to  our  great  delight,  a 
party  of  Americans,  whom  we  last  saw  in  Cairo,  mount- 
ing their  camels  for  a  journey  across  the  Short  Desert 
to  Jerusalem.  How  pleasant  such  meetings  are  in  a 
foreign  land,  none  know  but  those  who  have  experi- 
enced them. 

And  now  I  must  say  good  night. 


LETTER    LXXXV. 

English  Church.  —  Orphan  House.  —  Ship  Canal. — Broek. — Excessive 
Cleanliness. — Toll. — Civility. — Streets  of  Amsterdam. — Incident. 

AMSTERDAM,  Oct.  9th. 
MY  DEAR  P: 

Yesterday  we  had  the  pleasure  of  attending  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Church  of  England  in  a  plain,  unpretending 
chapel,  but  tl:e  service  was  not  without  its  interest  to 
us,  you  may  be  well  assured.  In  foreign  lands,  sur- 
rounded by  every  thing  strange  and  wondrous,  nothing 
comes  to  our  hearts  with  a  greater  feeling  of  home,  than 
the  familiar  words  of  our  church  service.  Wherever 
we  hear  these  words,  whether  amid  the  refinements  of 
Europe,  the  vast  deserts  of  Asia,  or  on  the  banks  of  the 
storied  Nile,  we  are  at  home.  In  the  brotherhood  of 
the  church,  we  are  linked  together  as  the  members 
of  one  large  family,  with  one  common  interest,  bound 
with  a  tie  of  no  ordinary  strength. 

On  our  way  to  church,  we  saw  a  procession  of  boys 
in  a  singular  costume,  one-half  of  their  jackets  being 


318  LETTERS. 

black,  the  other  red.  I  thought  they  belonged  to  a 
State  Prison,  was  therefore  agreeably  surprised  to  find 
they  were  members  of  an  orphan  house.  In  fact,  Am- 
sterdam is  celebrated  for  the  number  and  variety  of  its 
charitable  institutions.  There  is  said  to  be  a  great 
many  poor  people  in  this  city.  Many  of  these  live  in 
the  cellars  of  the  houses,  not  only  under  ground,  but 
under  water.  I  peeped  into  quite  a  number  of  these 
cellars,  as  I  passed  along,  and  invariably  found  them 
remarkably  clean  and  neat,  very  different  in  that  respect 
from  the  abodes  of  the  poorer  class  in  England,  Ireland, 
or  even  in  our  own  favored  republic. 

A  great  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Amsterdam,  too, 
live  in  boats,  like  the  Chinese,  and  here,  too,  you  see 
the  usual  Dutch  thrift  and  cleanliness.  If,  according 
to  good  old  Jeremy  Taylor,  "  cleanliness  is  next  to  god- 
liness," how  very  nearly  approaching  to  piety  must  the 
Dutch  be. 

And  where  do  you  think  we  have  been  to-day  ?  To 
Broek,  (pronounced  Brook,)  known  by  the  enviable 
appellation,  or  unenviable,  (as  different  persons  might 
view  it,)  of  "  the  cleanest  village  in  the  world."  We 
drove  there,  it  being  but  a  few  miles  distant,  our  road 
lying  the  first  part  of  the  way  along  the  grand  ship 
canal  of  North  Holland,  one  of  the  greatest  under- 
takings of  the  kind  ever  executed.  I  should  like,  if  I 
had  time,  to  enter  into  details  concerning  this  canal,  as 
well  as  of  the  others  that  go  so  far  towards  making  up 
the  distinctive  features  of  Holland,  but  the  number  at 
the  top  of  this  page  warns  me  that  the  time  ought  to  be 
near  when  this  Budget  should  be  closed,  and  so  I  must 
hasten  on  to  Broek,  "  the  cleanest  village  in  the  world." 
It  has  about  eight  hundred  inhabitants,  many  of  them 


LETTERS.  319 

retired  merchants  and  tradesmen,  landed  proprietors  or 
small  farmers. 

For  fear  of  disturbing  the  excessive  cleanliness  of  the 
place,  no  horse  is  allowed  to  pass  through  the  streets, 
so  we  left  our  carriage  at  a  small  inn  on  the  outskirts, 
and  walked  through  the  village.  I  said  no  horse  was 
allowed  to  pass  through  the  streets ;  I  meant  no  horse 
attached  to  a  carriage ;  in  fact,  the  streets  are  scarcely 
wide  enough  to  admit  the  passage  of  a  wheeled  vehicle. 
If  a  man  enters  the  village  on  horseback,  he  must  dis- 
mount, and  lead  his  horse  through  the  streets  at  a  foot 
pace  !  No  one  can  smoke  without  a  stopper  on  his  pipe, 
for  fear  of  the  ashes  settling  on  any  thing !  The  streets, 
narrow  lanes,  or  passages  rather,  are  paved  with  bricks 
or  small  stones,  arranged  in  divers  patterns.  And  these 
are  kept  just  as  clean  as  the  nicest  parlor  floor.  The 
slightest  appearance  of  a  weed  or  a  tuft  of  grass  in  the 
interstices  of  these  stones,  would  throw  the  inhabitants 
of  Broek  into  an  agony.  For  my  part,  I  must  confess 
every  thing  looked  too  precise  to  please  my  eye. 

The  houses  are  mostly  of  wood,  in  fantastic  styles  of 
architecture,  every  house  dazzling  the  eye  with  the 
freshness  of  its  paint.  Indeed,  some  housekeepers  are 
said  to  keep  a  painter  in  their  employ  the  year  round, 
that  the  same  freshness  of  aspect  may  be  preserved  at 
all  seasons.  This,  I  think,  must  be  worse  than  the  an- 
nual infliction  of  painters  and  whitewashes  at  home. 
The  gardens  are  prettily  laid  out,  and  adorned  with 
flowers  of  every  hue. 

But  you  should  go  into  one  of  the  dairies !  Every 
thing  was  so  exceedingly  sweet  and  clean.  Even  the 
stables  were  models  of  neatness,  the  floors  of  tiles, 
nicely  polished,  the  walls  of  partitions  of  boards  as 


320  LETTERS. 

smooth  and  neat  as  possible.  Over  each  stall  was  a 
hook  in  the  ceiling,  which  instantly  attracted  my  atten- 
tion. "What  is  that  for?"  I  asked.  "Why,  when 
the  cattle  are  within  doors,  their  tails  are  fastened  up 
to  these  hooks,  that  they  may  not  run  any  risk  of  soil- 
ing their  sleek,  nicely  washed  sides,  by  brushing  against 
them!"  I  thought  that  went  ahead  of  every  thing  I 
had  ever  heard  of  in  the  way  of  cleanliness. 

In  passing  along  the  road,  to-day,  whenever  we  came 
to  a  toll-gate,  which  was  pretty  often,  the  keeper  thrust 
out  a  wooden  box  to  receive  the  toll,  evidently  thinking 
it  quite  too  much  trouble  to  come  out  after  it.  The 
people  we  met  along  the  roadside  and  the  canals,  seemed 
polite  and  civil,  the  men  invariably  touching  their  hats 
to  us.  And  yet  have  I  not  sometimes  heard  the  Dutch 
spoken  of  as  "  boors  ?" 

This  evening,  we  took  a  long  walk  through  the  streets 
of  Amsterdam.  The  gable  roofs  and  turreted  chimneys 
give  the  houses  a  very  picturesque  look.  The  display 
of  goods  in  some  of  the  shops  would  do  credit  to  Paris. 
The  streets  are  so  much  alike,  one  has  to  be  very  care- 
ful, else  he  will  lose  his  way.  In  fact,  a  friend  of  ours, 
a  few  weeks  since,  got  so  completely  bewildered  here, 
that  he  wandered  about  the  streets  till  long  after  mid- 
night, trying  in  vain  to  find  his  hotel,  the  name  of  which 
he  had  entirely  forgotten.  And  he  never  could  exactly 
remember,  when  telling  about  it  afterwards,  whether  it 
was  Amsterdam  or  Rotterdam  where  he  lost  his  way ; 
he  only  knew  that  it  was  a  town  that  ended  with  a 
"  dam." 

I  would  we  could  stay  longer  in  this  interesting  city, 
but  our  motto  is  "  onward." 


LETTERS.  321 


LETTER    LXXXYI. 

Haarlem. — Environs. — Village  of  the  Washerwomen. — Method  of  drain- 
ing the  Lake. — Nurseries. — Large  Organ. — State  House. — Leyden. — 
The  Hague. — Museum. — Gallery  of  Paintings. — Koyal  Library. — 
Scheveningen. — Bosch. 

THE  HAGUE,  Oct.  llth. 
Mr  DEAR  F. : 

On  we  go  with  a  "  perfect  rush  ;"  here  to-day,  gone 
to-morrow.  Ever  on  and  on,  the  restless  tide  of  life  is 
hurrying  man,  till  at  last  the  end  is  reached,  and  the 
goal  attained. 

We  left  Amsterdam  yesterday  morning,  and  came  on 
as  far  as  Haarlem,  about  twelve  miles,  through  a  flat 
country,  of  course,  intersected  in  all  directions  with 
canals  ;  but  few  trees  or  cultivated  fields,  most  of  the 
land  being  used  for  grazing,  and  we  saw  large  herds 
of  cattle  and  flocks  of  sheep. 

We  had  the  misfortune  of  arriving  at  Haarlem  in 
a  pouring  rain,  and  as  we  had  had  no  breakfast,  our 
first  care  was  to  look  out  for  the  wants  of  the  "  outer 
man."  So  we  drove  to  the  Hotel,  bearing  the*  name 
and  the  insignia  of  "  the  Golden  Lion,"  and  there  we 
met  a  nice  landlady,  who  not  only  furnished  us  a 
good  breakfast  in  short  order,  but  also  gave  us  every 
requisite  information  relative  to  the  sights  of  Haarlem. 

As  we  were  anxious  to  see  the  means  employed  for 
draining  the  lake  of  Haarlem,  which  a  few  years  ago 
covered  quite  an  extent  of  country,  we  drove  out  three 
or  four  miles  from  the  town,  passing  at  first  very  pretty 
gardens  and  country  seats,  each  house  having  some 
21 


322  LETTERS. 

motto  over  the  door,  which  our  guide  interpreted  to  us. 
One  signified  "  a  little  quiet ;"  another,  "  sweet  rest ;" 
a  third,  "  having  worked  diligently  I  now  take  my  com- 
fort," while  a  fourth  had '"  summer  comfort,"  and  so 
on,  through  an  endless  variety.  The  grounds  were 
tastefully  laid  out,  and  were  radiant  with  flowers  of 
every  hue. 

We  went  through  a  small  village  called  "  the  village 
of  the  washerwomen,"  every  house  having  a  large  green 
meadow  behind  it,  covered  with  linen  bleaching  in  the 
rain  and  mist.  The  guide  said  a  great  deal  of  money 
was  made  there,  and  I  did  not  wonder  at  it,  if  they  all 
charged  at  the  rate  our  washerwoman  in  Amsterdam 
did. 

Arriving  on  the  borders  of  a  canal,  we  left  our  car- 
riage and  were  rowed  across  in  a  little  boat,  which  was 
so  wet  we  could  not  sit  down  at  all,  but  fortunately  the 
distance  across  was  not  great.  The  rain  continued  to 
pour,  and  I  could  not  but  think  the  burning  sands  of 
Egypt,  and  the  fervid  sun  of  Syria,  were  better  than 
this  climate. 

In  a  building  of  immense  strength  and  thickness,  is 
one  of  the  engines  used  in  pumping  water  from  the 
lake.  «This  engine  is  of  five  hundred  horse  power,  and 
works  eight  pumps,  each  of  them  seventy-three  inches 
in  diameter.  At  one  stroke  of  the  engine,  sixty-four 
tons  of  water  can  be  pumped  up,  which  is  carried  off 
into  the  canal  by  means  of  sluices.  Notwithstanding 
the  work  which  this  engine  performed,  aided  by  two 
others  stationed  at  opposite  sides  of  the  lake,  it  required 
four  years  of  almost  constant  pumping  to  drain  the 
lake,  but  at  last  it  was  done,  and  there  are  now  more 
than  forty-five  thousand  acres,  which  were  once  cov- 


LETTERS.  323 

ered  by  the  waters  of  the  lake.  This  is  divided  into 
lots  and  sold,  and  when  all  are  sold,  the  owners  of  the 
land  will  be  obliged  to  keep  it  properly  drained,  and 
the  engines  therefore  will  be  given  over  to  them.  Gov- 
ernment will  then  receive  back  what  it  has  spent  for 
draining  the  land,  and  the  land  thus  redeemed  and 
cultivated  will  furnish  a  constant  revenue  in  addition, 
by  means  of  the  proper  taxes. 

One  canal  connects  with  another,  and  when  one  gets 
too  full,  the  sluices  are  opened,  and  the  surplus  water 
let  off,  and  thus,  on  and  on,  through  the  endless  canals 
with  which  Holland  is  supplied.  This  requires  the 
most  vigilant  care  and  watchfulness,  for  one  foot  of 
water  too  much,  or  left  one  minute  too  long,  may  cause 
the  destruction  of  millions  of  property,  and  hundreds 
of  lives. 

On  our  way  back,  we  visited  one  of  the  celebrated 
nurseries  of  Haarlem,  from  which  many  of  the  most 
renowned  gardens  in  Europe  procure  their  seeds.  Do 
you  remember  reading  in  the  newspapers  several  years 
ago,  of  the  great  tulip  mania  that  raged  in  Holland  ? 
At  that  time  nearly  three  thousand  dollars  were  given 
for  one  tulip  root.  Indeed,  for  a  long  time,  specula- 
tions were  carried  on  in  buying  and  selling  tulip  roots, 
as  one  would  speculate  in  funds  or  stocks,  till  at  last 
government  interfered,  and  put  a  stop  to  this  species  of 
gambling. 

You  are  doubtless  aware  that  one  of  the  largest 
organs  in  the  world  is  in  Haarlem.  We  were  so  fortu- 
nate as  to  visit  the  town  on  one  of  the  days  the  organ 
is  shown  off  gratuitously ;  otherwise  we  must  have 
paid  five  dollars,  or  have  had  the  other  alternative  of 
going  away  without  hearing  it.  %  For  an  hour  the  organ- 


324  LETTERS. 

ist  discoursed  to  us  most  eloquent  music,  though  I  am 
told  he  makes  a  greater  display  and  dash  on  those  days 
he  is  particularly  paid  for  playing.  Some  of  my  mu- 
sical friends  at  home  may  be  interested  in  knowing 
that  this  organ  was  made  in  1738  by  Christian  Muller, 
of  Amsterdam,  and  that  it  has  five  thousand  pipes  (the 
largest  of  which  are  thirty-two  feet  in  length,  and 
fifteen  inches  in  diameter,)  sixty  stops  and  three  rows 
of  keys. 

One  thing  in  the  church  annoyed  me  exceedingly ; 
the  people  coming  in  and  walking  round,  while  the 
organist  was  playing,  seeming  to  use  the  church  as  a 
place  for  promenade  and  for  meeting  their  friends. 
The  men  kept  their  hats  on,  except  when  they  met  an 
acquaintance,  and  then,  oh !  strange  inconsistency ! 
they  lifted  the  hat  quite  from  the  head,  thus  treating 
man  with  more  ceremony  and  reverence  than  God. 

The  Dutch  claim  the  invention  of  printing  for  a  citi- 
zen of  Haarlem,  named  Coster,  and  in  the  State  House 
here  are  shown  specimens  of  the  blocks  or  wooden  types 
which  were  invented  and  used  by  him.  Two  or  three 
rare  books  are  shown,  one  printed  in  1428,  and  another 
in  1440,  and  two  or  three  autographs  of  Coster,  and 
some  medals,  and  for  exhibiting  these  few  articles  the 
keeper  had  the  audacity  to  demand  one  florin,  (about 
40  cents.)  They  prize  their  antiquities  high  here  in 
Holland. 

We  found  Haarlem  a  neat,  pretty  town,  the  houses 
of  dark  colored  brick,  the  streets  intersected  by  canals 
and  bordered  with  trees.  The  environs  are  delight- 
fully varied  with  gardens  and  country  seats,  but  these 
of  course  could  not  be  seen  to  good  advantage  by  us  in 
a  drenching  rain.  In  historical  associations  Haarlem  is 


LETTERS.  325 

exceedingly  rich,  having  suffered  a  terrible  siege  from 
the  Spaniards  in  1572-3,  during  which  period  the  citi- 
zens maintained  an  heroic  defence,  the  very  women 
even  bearing  arms  under  Kenan  Hasselaer,  whose  por- 
trait we  saw  in  the  State  House.  In  two  or  three  of 
the  houses  in  the  town,  we  saw  cannon  balls  imbedded 
in  the  walls,  relics  of  that  same  siege. 

We  had  a  nice  dinner,  our  landlady  who  speaks  Eng- 
lish very  well,  waiting  on  us  herself,  and  then  the  rain 
having  ceased,  we  walked  to  the  station,  where  we  had 
left  our  luggage  in  the  morning.  Many  wealthy  mer- 
chants doing  business  in  Amsterdam  reside  in  Haarlem, 
and  their  carriages  and  liveried  attendants  dashed  by 
us  on  the  way  to  the  railroad,  to  meet  their  respective 
masters  and  owners. 

We  left  Haarlem  at  little  after  five  o'clock,  and  for 
the  first  four  or  five  miles  after  leaving  the  town,  the 
country  was  very  pretty,  but  after  that  the  land  was 
less  rich  and  fertile.  Every  meadow  was  bounded  by 
canals,  and  almost  every  house  was  surrounded  by 
water.  The  sunset  was  magnificent,  giving  promise  of 
fair  weather  to-day,  a  promise,  like  many  others,  unful- 
filled. 

It  was  near  dark  when  we  arrived  at  Leyden,  and  we 
could  see  nothing  of  that  town,  but  we  know  it  is 
famous  for  its  University,  and  for  having  endured  a  ter- 
rific siege  by  the  Spaniards  in  1553-4.  It  was  the 
birth-place,  too,  of  Rembrandt,  Jan  Steen,  Gerard 
Douw,  Mieris,  and  some  other  painters  of  the  Dutch 
school. 

We  arrived  here  at  half  past  six  o'clock,  and  came 
to  the  Hotel  de  L'Europe,  but  as  we  did  not  have  our 
room  till  we  had  been  here  nearly  two  hours,  I  could 


326  LETTERS. 

not  settle  down  to  any  thing.  Besides,  I  must  confess, 
going  about  in  the  rain  at  Haarlem,  made  me  not  a 
little  dull  and  sleepy. 

In  spite  of  the  rain  we  have  been  out  sight-seeing 
to-day,  for  we  have  no  time  to  spare  in  waiting  for  fine 
weather. 

This  town  is  at  present  the  residence  of  the  King  of 
Holland,  and  has  about  sixty-four  thousand  inhabitants. 
The  houses  are  not  so  picturesque  looking  as  those  of 
Amsterdam,  but  look  more  like  the  brick  and  stone 
houses  of  our  own  land.  Many  of  the  streets  and  the 
canals  are  bordered  with  trees,  and  the  parks  and  gar- 
dens that  surround  the  town  are  very  beautiful,  so 
much  so  I  regretted  exceedingly  the  weather  would 
not  permit  me  to  see  more  of  them. 

Although  I  had  said  I  would  visit  no  more  museums, 
I  was  tempted  to  break  my  resolution  here,  because  I 
was  told  there  was  such  an  admirable  collection  of 
Chinese  and  Japanese  articles,  so  different  from  most  of 
the  museums  we  have  visited.  The  Dutch  being  till 
lately  the  only  European  nation  admitted  into  Japan, 
of  course  have  had  excellent  opportunities  for  collecting 
curiosities  from  that  country,  and  the  collection  here  is 
exceedingly  rich.  If  I  should  attempt  to  go  into 
details,  I  should  fill  a  small  sized  volume,  so  I  will 
merely  say,  we  saw  enough  to  give  us  an  insight  into 
the  manners  and  customs,  both  warlike  and  domestic, 
of  that  nation. 

The  Chinese  articles  were  very  beautiful,  among 
which  I  shall  merely  mention  specimens  of  carvings  in 
ivory  and  porcelain  ware,  exceedingly  rich  and  rare. 

In  another  part  of  the -museum  is  a  large  number  of 
historical  relics,  and  here  too  I  was  exceedingly  inter- 


LETTERS.  327 

ested,  because  they  all,  more  or  less,  bore  reference 
to  the  history  of  this  country.  Shall  I  give  you  a 
list  of  a  few  things  that  interested  me  particularly  ? 
Articles  belonging  to  the  renowned  Admirals,  Tromp 
and  De  Ruyter  and  Piet  Hein  ;  the  dress  William, 
Prince  of  Orange,  wore  the  day  he  was  assassinated 
in  Delft ;  a  model  of  the  cabin  where  Peter  the  Great 
lived  while  learning  the  trade  of  a  ship-builder  in 
Zaardam,  and  a  variety  of  beautiful  vessels  in  ivory 
and  silver,  elaborately  carved. 

Next  we  went  to  the  Gallery  of  Paintings,  almost 
exclusively  composed  of  works  of  the  Dutch  school, 
and  here  we  saw  some  of  the  master-pieces  of  Berchem 
and  Cuyp,  of  Douw  and  Van  Dijk,  of  Mieris  and  Os- 
tade,  of  Potter  and  Rembrandt,  of  Steen,  Teniers 
and  Wouverman,  and  a  host  of  others,  whose  names 
are  not  so  well  known  on  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic 
as  on  this.  Like  the  pictures  of  the  German  school, 
the  Dutch  masters  charm  me  by  their  faithful  delinea- 
tion of  every  day  life  ;  life  in  the  cottage  and  in  the 
fields,  and  woods  and  meadows,  cattle  and  horses,  men 
and  women  and  little  children  are  portrayed  with  that 
trueness  to  nature  which  attracts  even  the  most  unini- 
tiated in  the  mysteries  of  art. 

We  crossed  a  pretty  little  'park,  and  came  to  the 
Royal  Library,  where  is  a  collection  of  one  hundred 
thousand  volumes,  neatly  arranged.  But  these  did  not 
detain  us  long,  for  we  went  on  to  look  at  the  manuscripts, 
among  which  are  the  prayer-books  of  Catherine  de 
Medici,  and  the  unfortunate  Catherine  of  Aragon,  a 
book  beautifully  written  and  elaborately  adorned  with 
pictures  in  the  fifteenth  century,  another  in  the  sixth 
or  seventh,  and  a  Bible  published  in  1682,  bearing  on  a 


328  LETTERS. 

blank  leaf  the  words,  "  This  book  was  given  to  the 
king  and  I  at  our  crownation.  Marie  R  ;"  which  was 
more  interesting  from  the  fact  that  the  Bible  was  given 
to  King  William  and  to  Mary,  than  from  the  grammat- 
ical construction  of  the  sentence. 

Here  too,  is  a  rich  collection  of  coins  and  medals  and 
cameos,  to  the  number  of  fifty  thousand,  and  we  spent 
some  time  in  looking  at  them,  though  the  full  study 
of  them  with  all  their  historical  bearings,  would  well 
employ  years. 

Still  on  we  went  in  the  pouring  rain,  to  see  a  private 
collection  of  paintings,  all  of  the  Dutch  school,  and  all 
gems,  not  a  common  one  among  them.  The  walls  of 
three  rooms  were  covered  with  these  priceless  works  of 
art,  and  I  must  say  I  envied  the  possessor  of  them. 

As  it  did  not  rain  quite  so  fast  when  we  came  out,  we 
ordered  a  carriage  and  drove  to  the  village  of  Scheven- 
ingen,  which  lies  directly  on  the  sea  shore.  It  contains 
about  six  thousand  inhabitants,  all  more  or  less  engaged 
in  the  fisheries.  We  overtook  numbers  of  men  and 
women  who  had  been  here  to  sell  their  fish,  going  home 
with  empty  wagons  drawn  by  dogs,  sometimes  three 
abreast.  The  women  wore  very  short  clothes,  immense 
wooden  shoes,  and  bonnets  that  can  be  compared  to 
nothing  under  the  sun,  unless  it  be  a  coal  hod. 

The  waves  dashed  in  upon  the  sandy  shore  with  a  sul- 
len roar  which  made  me  shudder,  when  I  thought  that 
in  one  month  from  to-day,  I  should  have  to  tempt  the 
fury  of  the  ocean.  From  this  spot  Charles  II.  em- 
barked for  England  at  the  time  of  the  Restoration,  and 
here  too  the  Prince  of  Orange  landed  in  1813,  several 
months  before  the  overthrow  of  Buonaparte. 

After  we  came  back,  we  drove  through  the  Bosch,  a 


LETTERS.  329 

beautiful  wood  with  noble  forest  trees,  and  pretty 
sheets  of  water,  and  green  glades,  where  a  large  num- 
ber of  deer  were  frolicking  around. 

When  we  had  seen  all  these  things,  it  was  time  to 
return  for  our  dinner,  which  was  at  half  past  four. 
After  dinner  I  had  intended  walking  out  again,  but  the 
elements  were  against  me,  so  I  took  my  pen  and  scrib- 
bled this  letter.  And  this  is  all  I  have  to  tell  you  about 
the  Hague,  so  adieu. 


LETTER    LXXXYII. 

Ryswick. — Delft. — Schiedam. — Rotterdam. — Statue  of  Erasmus. — Church 
of  St.  Lawrence. — Organ. — Country  Houses. — Dort. — The  Schelde. — 
Arrival  in  Antwerp. — Loss  of  the  Arctic. — Decline  of  Antwerp. — The 
Cathedral. — The  Spire. — Chime  of  Bells. — Magnificent  View. — Interior 
of  the  Church. — Paintings  by  Rubens. — St.  Paul's  Church. — St.  Jacques' 
Church. — Docks. — Rubens. — Hotel  de  Ville. — Exchange. — Costumes. 

ANTWERP,  Oct.  14th. 
MY  DEAR  P. : 

We  left  the  Hague  on  Thursday  morning,  and  little 
more  than  half  an  hour  on  the  railroad  brought  us  to  Rot- 
terdam, through  rather  a  pretty  country,  varied  with  vil- 
lages, and  farm  houses,  and  meadows,  green  and  bright, 
on  which  sheep  and  cattle  were  browsing.  The  first 
village  was  Ryswick,  where,  in  1697,  was  signed  the 
treaty  of  peace  between  England,  France,  Germany, 
Holland  and  Spain.  Next,  we  came  to  Delft,  a  quaint 
looking  town,  famous  in  olden  time  for  its  pottery,  and 
for  having  been  the  scene,  in  1584,  of  the  murder  of 
William  I.,  Prince  of  Orange,  by  Balthazar  Gerardfe. 
A  little  farther  on,  we  reached  Schiedam,  known  the 


330  LETT  BBS. 

world  over,  for  its  distilleries  of  gin,  of  which  there  are 
two  hundred  in  that  small  town  of  not  more  than  twelve 
thousand  inhabitants.  So  much  grain  is  used  in  the 
distilleries,  that  it  is  said  thirty  thousand  pigs  are  fed 
on  what  is  left,  after  the  spirituous  matter  has  been 
extracted.  So  they  must  carry  on  quite  a  trade  there 
in  pork,  as  well  as  in  gin. 

Arriving  at  Rotterdam,  we  took  a  carriage,  and  made 
the  complete  circuit  of  the  city,  where,  though  we  saw 
not  many  things  to  admire,  we  found  quite  a  number  to 
interest  us.  Rotterdam  lies  on  the  Maas,  (or,  as  we 
should  call  it,  the  Meuse,)  and  on  the  Rotte,  and  from 
a  large  dyke  or  dam  erected  at  the  junction  of  the  two 
rivers,  derives  its  name  of  Rotterdam.  It  is  the  second 
city  in  Holland,  having  a  population  of  more  than  eighty 
thousand,  and  although  it  is  twenty-four  miles  from  the 
sea,  by  means  of  the  Maas,  which  is  navigable  up  to  the 
very  town,  it  carries  on  great  shipping  transactions  with 
all  parts  of  the  world.  Its  trade  alone  with  Batavia  is 
immense,  eighty  large  ships  being  constantly  employed 
in  it. 

Our  hotel,  the  "  New  Bath  Hotel,"  was  on  the  Maas, 
and  directly  before  our  window,  large  ships  were  un- 
loading their  cargoes.  Like  Amsterdam,  the  mixture 
of  land  and  water,  of  streets  and  canals,  of  houses  and 
ships,  gives  it  a  strange  charm.  We  drove  through  a 
labyrinth  of  streets  and  crossed  an  immense  number  of 
canals,  many  of  them  bordered  with  trees,  and  lined 
with  substantial  houses  of  dark  colored  brick. 

On  a  wide  bridge,  which  is  used  as  a  market  place, 
stands  the  bronze  statue  of  Erasmus,  who  was  born  in 
Rotterdam,  in  1467,  in  a  small  house  which  we  after- 
wards saw.  It  has  an  inscription  in  Latin,  which,  as  I 


LETTERS.  331 

translate  it,  means,  "  This  is  a  small  house,  but  great, 
because  Erasmus  was  born  in  it." 

In  the  church  of  St.  Lawrence,  are  some  fine  monu- 
ments of  the  old  Dutch  Admirals,  and  an  immense 
organ,  larger  than  that  at  Haarlem,  and  said  by  some 
to  be  superior  to  it  in  tone.  But  this  we  had  no  oppor- 
tunity of  finding  out  for  ourselves,  for  although  the 
organist  will  at  any  time  play  an  hour,  for  the  sum  of 
five  dollars,  our  purse  was  not  quite  heavy  enough  to 
pay  a  fee  of  that  size,  even  to  gratify  our  love  of  music. 
Perhaps  we  felt  more  indifferent  than  we  otherwise 
should,  having  just  had  so  good  an  opportunity  to  hear 
the  surpassingly  sweet  tones  of  the  one  at  Haarlem. 

The  Rotterdam  organ  is  ninety  feet  high,  (only  think, 
twice  as  high  as  the  interior  of  St.  Stephen's  church,) 
and  has  ninety  stops,  and  six  thousand  five  hundred 
pipes,  the  largest  of  which  is  thirty-two  feet  long,  and 
seventeen  inches  in  diameter.  "What  a  baby  the  most 
of  our  organs  at  home  are,  compared  with  this  giant ! 

We  passed  by  the  Exchange,  and  the  Town  Hall,  and 
two  or  three  other  public  buildings  quite  noble  in 
appearance.  The  quay  along  the  river  Maas  has  many 
handsome  houses.  All  around  the  city,  are  the  country 
houses  of  the  wealthy  citizens,  each  with  its  canal  covered 
with  green  slime  before  the  door,  spanned  by  a  little 
bridge,  thrown  across,  or  drawn  back,  at  the  pleasure 
of  the  owner ;  thus  one  could  live  quite  secluded  from 
his  neighbors,  if  he  chose.  Almost  every  garden 
had  a  little  summer  house  in  one  corner,  where  the 
"  good  man"  retires  to  smoke  his  pipe.  I  should  think 
he  would  need  the  smell  of  his  pipe,  or  some  other  fra- 
grance, to  triumph  over  the  noxious  odors  exhaled  by 
the  stagnant  canals  around  him. 


332  •       LETTERS. 

After  dinner,  we  walked  out,  and  as  I  like  to  stroll 
along,  and  stop  at  nearly  every  shop  window,  I  do  not 
care  about  being  followed,  or  preceded,  rather,  by  a 
guide,  so  we  dispensed  with  his  services  in  the  evening. 
We  found  the  shops  in  the  principal  streets  well  lighted, 
but  no  great  variety  of  goods  was  displayed,  red  ban- 
dannas, pipes  and  women's  caps  being  the  principal 
commodities.  In  the  interminable  labyrinth  of  streets, 
and  canals,  and  drawbridges,  we  entirely  lost  our  direc- 
tion, and  were  obliged  to  take  a  hackney  coach  back  to 
the  hotel.  And  thus  ended  our  visit  to  Rotterdam,  for 
yesterday  morning  we  took  a  steamer  for  this  place, 
where  we  arrived  quite  late  in  the  evening,  after  an 
uninteresting  sail  of  nearly  ten  hours.  The  banks  of  the 
river,  or  rivers,  rather,  were  low  and  flat,  and  the  sev- 
eral arms  of  the  sea,  flowing  between  the  islands  of 
Zealand,  that  we  crossed,  were  often  so  wide  we  could 
scarcely  see  the  land  on  either  side.  Fortunately  for 
us,  the  weather  was  good,  for  in  storms,  we  are  told, 
these  estuaries  make  rather  rough  sailing. 

The  only  place  in  which  I  was  interested,  was  the  old 
town  of  Dort,  where,  in  1618-19,  was  held  that  assem- 
bly of  divines,  known  as  the  "  Synod  of  Dort."  During 
six  months,  they  sat  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  times, 
almost  entirely  engaged  in  discussing  the  subject  of 
"  election"  and  ^  free  grace."  Ship  building,  to  a  large 
extent,  is  carried  on  in  this  neighborhood,  and  immense 
rafts  come  down  here  from  the  upper  Rhine. 

It  was  quite  too  late,  when  we  entered  the  Schelde, 
to  see  any  thing  of  its  banks,  and  our  passage  from  the 
kingdom  of  the  Netherlands  into  that  of  Belgium,  was 
literally  made  in  the  dark.  We  received  the  customary 
visit  from  the  revenue  officers,  and  although  their 


LETTERS.  333 

examination  was  quite  strict,  they  made  us  pay  nothing 
for  duties,  even  allowing  my  cologne  to  pass  free. 

We  came  to  the  Hotel  St.  Antoine,  and  though  I 
eagerly  went  to  the  windows,  and  strained  my  eyes  to 
get  a  peep  of  the  Cathedral,  there  was  nothing  to  be 
seen  but  the  little  park  in  front  of  the  hotel,  with  its 
row  of  gas  lights,  while  beyond,  a  dark  mass  loomed 
up  against  the  sky,  which  my  instinct  told  me  was  the 
far-famed  Cathedral  of  Antwerp. 

The  first  news  we  heard  this  morning,  was  the  de- 
struction of  the  Arctic.  You  may  imagine  the  shock 
it  gave  us,  not  only  because  we  have  to  make  that  very 
voyage  across  the  ocean  which  has  proved  so  fatal  to 
her,  but  because  in  that  same  ship  we  made  our  last 
passage  across  the  Atlantic.  It  is  just  one  year  and  two 
days  since  we  bade  adieu  to  her  and  her  gallant  com- 
mander. How  vividly  comes  up  that  parting  scene ! 
As  the  small  steamer,  that  was  carrying  us  to  the  shore, 
left  the  Arctic,  "  three  times  three"  cheers  were  given 
for  "  the  noble  ship  Arctic,"  the  passengers  all  standing 
and  waving  their  hats  or  handkerchiefs,  with  great  en- 
thusiasm. Capt.  Luce  stood  beside  me ;  now  he  has 
found  a  watery  grave,  and  the  "  noble  Arctic"  lies  in 
the  bosom  of  the  great  deep  !*  Wherever  I  have  been 
to-day,  whatever  I  have  seen,  that  sinking  ship,  with 
her  hundreds  of  souls  hurried  into  eternity,  has  been 
before  my  eyes.  God  grant  their  fate  may  not  be  ours ! 
From  many  loving,  praying  hearts  at  home,  earnest 
prayers  are  going  up  for  our  preservation  on  the  great 
deep,  and  I  trust  those  prayers  will  be  answered. 

And  now  let  me  tell  you  a  little  about  this  city,  which, 

#  The  first  news  was  that  Capt.  Luce  was  drowned. 


334  LETTERS. 

at  present,  contains  ninety  thousand  inhabitants, 
though,  in  the  sixteeenth  century,  it  is  said  to  have  had 
a  population  of  two  hundred  thousand.  It  would 
be  an  interesting  subject  of  inquiry,  to  investigate  the 
causes  which  have  led  to  the  decline  of  so  many  Euro- 
pean cities,  but  at  present,  that  is  far  beyond  my  reach, 
and  so  I  will  content  myself  with  merely  saying,  that 
Antwerp  has  greatly  declined  from  her  former  prosperi- 
ty. Every  year,  immense  numbers  are  leaving  this 
part  of  the  country  for  the  New  World,  and  during  the 
last  year,  from  this  port  alone,  twenty-two  thousand 
sailed  for  the  United  States. 

Of  course,  our  first  visit  was  to  the  Cathedral ;  to 
reach  this,  we  merely  had  to  cross  the  little  park  in 
front  of  our  hotel,  now  nearly  stripped  of  its  leaves. 
In  the  centre  of  the  park,  is  a  colossal  statue  of  Rubens, 
who  lived  here  for  a  long  time,  and  died  here.  The 
Cathedral  was  commenced  in  the  thirteenth  century, 
and  it  is  said  to  have  taken  eighty-four  years  in  its 
erection.  It  is  five  hundred  feet  long,  and  two  hundred 
and  fifty  wide,  and  the  interior  is  divided  into  a  nave  and 
side  aisles,  by  six  rows  of  large  pillars,  thus  giving  four 
side  aisles,  an  unusual  number,  the  generality  of 
churches  having  only  two. 

Besides  two  or  three  small  towers,  it  has  one  of  the 
loftiest  spires  in  the  world,  rising  to  a  height  of  nearly 
four  hundred  and  four  feet,  more  than  twice  as  high  -as 
the  steeple  of  the  First  Baptist  meeting  house  in  your 
own  city.  This  lofty  spire  is  adorned  with  such  delicate 
Gothic  arches,  and  fairy-like  tracery  and  fretwork,  that 
Charles  V.  used  to  say  it  deserved  to  be  kept  in  a  show- 
case, and  Napoleon  said  it  reminded  him  of  Mechlin 
lace,  so  exquisite  was  the  finish  of  every  part. 


LETTERS.  335 

Before  we  had  fatigued  ourselves  with  walking  about, 
we  ascended  to  the  top  of  this  spire,  by  no  less  than  six 
hundred  and  sixteen  steps,  which  made  me  pant  and 
groan  somewhat,  before  we  reached  the  summit.  The 
man  who  went  up  with  us,  says,  some  days  in  summer, 
when  there  have  been  many  visitants,  he  has  been  up 
twenty-five  times.  No  wonder  he  asks  a  franc,  and  even 
more,  every  time  he  goes  up. 

Half  way  up  the  tower,  is  a  chime  of  forty  bells, 
which  plays  a  regular  tune  at  the  striking  of  each  hour, 
and  at  the  quarter  and  half  hours,  a  short  strain,  and 
at  every  seven  minutes  and  a  half,  utters  a  few  pleasing 
notes.  Even  now,  while  I  write,  there  come,  stealing 
out  upon  the  air,  strains  of  the  softest,  sweetest  harmo- 
ny, and  I  sit  with  my  pen  raised  in  my  hand,  for  fear 
one  delicious  note  will  escape  my  ear. 

The  face  of  the  clock  in  this  tower  is  thirty  feet  in 
diameter.  You  can  readily  imagine  that  from  so 
elevated  a  spot  as  the  summit  of  this  spire,  we  should 
get  a  magnificent  view,  and  the  city  below  us,  and  the 
country  around,  lay  spread  out  like  a  map.  The  pointed 
and  red-tiled  roofs  of  the  city,  varied  here  and  there  by 
a  venerable  church,  the  windings  of  the  Schelde,  the 
green,  level  meadows,  and  clumps  of  many  tinted  trees, 
the  villages,  dotted  at  intervals  over  the  plain,  the 
tower  of  the  Cathedral  of  Mechlin,  looming  up  against 
the  sky,  the  canals  stretching  far  away  in  the  distance, 
all  tended  to  form  an  exquisite  scene.  A  soft  haze  was 
in  the  air,  which  prevented  us  from  seeing  very  far,  but 
the  guide  told  us,  in  clear  weather,  he  could  see  Brus- 
sels, thirty  miles  distant.  t 

And  now  for  the  riches  of  the  interior  of  the  church. 
The  seats  in  the  choir  are  new,  and  elaborately  sculp- 


336  LETTERS. 

tared,  and  the  pulpit  is  almost  an  edifice  of  itself,  carved 
to  represent  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe,  with  their 
natural  productions  of  trees,  shrubs  and  birds.  But 
that  which  has  brought  the  greatest  renown  to  the 
church,  are  the  paintings  of  Rubens,  among  which,  the 
most  celebrated  are  the  "  Descent  from  the  Cross,"  and 
the  "  Elevation  of  the  Cross."  No  one,  who  looks  at 
these  paintings,  can  help  acknowledging  that  they  are 
indeed  masterpieces  of  art.  Rubens'  forte  is  the  delin- 
eation of  strong,  fierce  passions,  and  brilliancy  of  col- 
oring, and  in  these  he  is  inimitable,  but  all  his  female 
figures  are  gross  and  unrefined.  The  face  of  the  Virgin, 
soft,  yet  beaming  with  life  and  intellect,  the  deep, 
mournful  eyes,  speaking  of  a  soul  baptised  in  sorrow 
and  suffering,  these  are  for  Raphael,  not  for  Rubens. 
Raphael's  pictures  touch  my  heart ;  Rubens'  excite  my 
admiration  ;  the  first  depicts  the  heart,  the  soul ;  the 
other  the  body.  In  these  two  paintings,  Rubens'  Christ 
is  sublime  ;  nothing  can  exceed  the  expression  of  the 
figure,  so  full  of  mortal  agony,  tempered  with  heavenly 
peace  and  resignation. 

In  the  Museum  here,  are  several  other  paintings  by 
Rubens,  some  of  which  I  like  quite  as  well  as  those  in 
the  Cathedral.  In  the  crucifixion  of  Christ  between 
the  two  thieves,  an  executioner  is  seen  piercing  the  side 
of  the  Saviour,  while  another,  with  a  bar  of  iron,  is 
breaking  the  limbs  of  one  of  the  malefactors,  who,  in  his 
agony,  has  wrenched  one  of  his  feet  from  the  cross.  Of 
the  thousand  crucifixions  I  have  seen,  there  has  never 
been  one  before  like  this,  and  although  I  turned  away 
from  it,  at  first, with  shuddering,  I  went  back  more  than 
once  to  get  another  view. 

There  is  an  admirable  collection,  in  the  Museum,  of 


L  E  T  T  E  E  S  .  337 

paintings  of  the  old  Flemish  school,  and  a  few  by  artists 
of  a  later  date,  which  seems  to  show  that  the  mantle  of 
Rubens  and  the  Van  Eycks  has  fallen  upon  some  of 
their  successors. 

Next,  we  went  to  St.  Paul's  church,  where,  on  an 
artificial  eminence  against  the  walls  of  the  church,  is  a 
representation  of  Calvary,  to  me  perfectly  horrible  to 
behold,  and  in  the  church  are  some  admirable  as  well 
as  curious  paintings. 

Then,  we  turned  our  steps  towards  St.  Jacques' 
church,  which  has  twenty  side  chapels  and  eighteen 
altar-pieces,  rich  in  sculpture  and  fine  marbles.  In  this 
church,  Rubens  is  buried,  and  the  little  chapel  in  which 
his  body  lies,  was  designed  by  himself.  Over  the  altar, 
hangs  a  Holy  Family,  painted  by  the  great  artist,  in  the 
short  space  of  sixteen  days.  In  this  picture,  he  has 
given  his  own  portrait,  as  St.  George,  those  of  his  two 
wives,  as  Martha  and  Mary  Magdalen,  while  his  father  is 
represented  as  St.  Jerome,  his  grandfather  as  Time,  and 
his  own  son  as  an  angel,  thus  making  it  an  historical, 
as  well  as  an  ideal  picture. 

By  this  time,  I  was  quite  tired,  so  we  took  a  carriage 
and  drove  around  the  city.  We  found  the  docks  and 
basins  filled  with  vessels,  from  all  parts  of  the  world, 
and  the  quay  along  the  Schelde  presented  a  lively  scene, 
there  were  so  many  vessels  loading  and  unloading. 
Doubtless  you  are  aware  that  Napoleon  was  very  anx- 
ious to  make  this  city  the  greatest  seaport  of  the  north 
of  Europe,  and  it  is  said  the  works  carried  on  here, 
under  his  instructions,  to  promote  that  object,  cost  ten 
millions  of  dollars,  but  at  the  peace  of  1814,  the  dock- 
yards were  obliged  to  be  demolished,  according  to  one  of 
the  articles  in  that  treaty,  though  the  two  basins  were 
22 


338  LETTERS. 

suffered  to  remain.  They  are  lined  with  large,  substan- 
tial warehouses,  and  the  whole  aspect  of  the  neighbor- 
hood is  bustling  and  active. 

The  country  around  Antwerp  is  very  pretty,  having 
gardens  and  handsome  houses,  and  roads  bordered  with 
trees,  and  public  parks.  Some  of  the  streets  of  this 
city  present  an  ancient  and  picturesque  appearance, 
many  of  the  houses  having  gable  ends  rising  like  steps. 
The  more  modern  part  has  handsome  houses,  and  fine 
public  buildings. 

Of  course,  we  stopped  to  see  the  house  in  which 
Kubens  died,  and  we  have  now  visited  the  place  of  his 
birth,  the  scene  of  many  of  his  labors,  the  spot  where 
he  died,  and  where  his  mortal  remains  repose.  His 
works  and  his  name  will  never  die. 

The  Hotel  de  Ville,  which  was  built  in  1581,  is  a 
noble  building,  and  near  it  is  the  house  where  Charles 
V.  lived,  while  in  Antwerp.  The  Exchange,  built  in 
1531,  is  a  magnificent  edifice,  around  the  inner  court  of 
which  runs  a  kind  of  cloister,  supported  by  beautiful 
columns.  This  court,  formerly  open  at  the  top,  has 
recently  been  covered  with  a  roof  of  glass,  like  the  late 
Crystal  Palace  of  London. 

"We  stopped  at  Mr.  Baillie's  warehouse,  not  so  much 
to  see  his  Antwerp  silks,  as  his  fine  collection  of  paint- 
ings. I  saw  silks  there  that  cost  eight  dollars  a  yard, 
but  then,  eight  yards  are  sufficient  for  a  dress.  He 
tried  to  tempt  me  to  buy,  but  my  purse  assisted  me  in 
resisting  the  temptation. 

Sunday,  1.5th .  This  morning,  we  attended  the  Eng- 
lish chapel,  but  this  afternoon  there  was  no  service. 
The  shops  are  open  here  to-day,  and  every  body  seems 
to  be  in  the  street.  Wooden  shoes  and  calico  dresses 


LETTEBS.  339 

jostle  silks  and  satins.  Many  of  the  women  wear  caps, 
with  large  round  lappets,  trimmed  with  wide  lace,  and 
sometimes,  surmounting  this  cap,  is  seen  the  most  an- 
tique looking  bonnet  imaginable,  resembling  those  Shaker 
bonnets  we  call  "  scoops,"  attached  to  which  are  im- 
mense streamers  of  wide  ribbon.  Again,  many  wear 
cloaks  of  black  cloth,  with  hoods  to  them,  lined  with 
black  silk,  and  these  they  throw  over  their  heads,  giving 
them  quite  a  nun-like  air.  Others  wear  rich  wide 
scarfs  of  black  silk,  the  ends  trimmed  with  heavy  fringe. 

As  twilight  came  on  this  evening,  I  stood  at  the  win- 
dow, and  saw  the  delicate  tracery  of  the  spire  of  the 
Cathedral,  standing  out  like  a  picture,  against  the  sky, 
and,  floating  on  the  air,  came  the  rich  notes  of  the  bells. 
One  particular  note  sent  my  thoughts  far  away,  across 
the  broad,  deep  ocean,  and  I  sighed  to  think  of  the 
distance  that  still  separates  me  from  those  I  love,  but 
the  sigh  was  chased  by  a  smile,  at  the  idea  that  in  six 
short  weeks  from  this  evening,  I  may  hope  to  be  in  your 
midst. 

The  weather  is  so  cold,  we  have  been  obliged  to-day 
to  have  a  fire  in  our  room,  for  there  is  no  nice  public 
parlor  to  sit  in,  as  in  the  hotels  at  home.  I  sit  here 
writing  to  you ;  J.  is  reading,  and  in  the  grate  a  bright 
fire  of  sea-coal  is  burning.  Do  we  not  look  cosy  ?  Do 
you  not  wish  you  could  take  a  nearer  peep  at  us  ?  Oh ! 
do  I  not  wish  it  ? 


340  L  E  T  T  E  E  S . 


LETTER    LXXXYIII. 

Ghent.— Church  of  St.  Bavon.— St.  Michael's  Church.— The  Belfry.— 
Prison. — Incident. — Town  Hall. — Friday  Market. — Quaint  Houses. — 
Ruins. — Nunnery. — Bruges. — Hospital  of  St.  John. — Church  of  Notre 
Dame.— Cathedral.— Town  Hall.— Palace  of  Justice.— The  Halls.— 
Chime  of  Bells. — Belgian  Officers. 

GHENT,  Oct.  17th. 
MY  DEAR  FEIENDS  : 

We  left  Antwerp  yesterday  morning,  and  came  on 
here  by  railroad,  through  a  level  country,  exceedingly 
rich  and  -well  cultivated.  We  devoted  the  greater  part 
of  yesterday  to  the  "  lions"  of  this  old  town,  which  lies 
upon  two  rivers,  the  Schelde  and  the  Lys,  and  contains 
one  hundred  and  three  thousand  inhabitants,  within  a 
circumference  of  nearly  eight  miles.  Like  the  greater 
part  of  Flemish  towns,  it  has  fallen  from  its  high  estate, 
for  in  the  time  of  Charles  V.,  it  was  said  to  be  the 
largest  city  in  all  Europe.  Its  trade  and  manufactures 
were  very  extensive,  there  being,  in  the  fourteenth 
century,  no  less  than  forty  thousand  weavers  here. 
Though  its  manufactures  are  by  no  means  so  large  as 
formerly,  it  may  be.  called  the  Manchester  of  Belgium. 

And  now  I  will  tell  you,  in  a  succinct  manner,  what 
we  have  seen  here  worthy  of  note.  Our  first  visit  was 
to  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Bavon,  a  new  saint  to  me,  but 
perhaps  as  worthy  of  canonization  as  many  others  that 
bear  the  title.  It  is  an  old  church,  founded  in  the  tenth 
century,  though  not  finished  till  the  sixteenth.  Rich 
paintings,  sculptured  tombs,  the  walls  of  the  choir  and 
transepts  lined  with  black  marble,  with  railings  of 
white  and  variegated  marble,  all  tend  to  make  it 


LETTERS.  341 

an  interesting  object  of  observation.  In  front  of  the 
high  altar,  are  four  immense  candlesticks  of  copper, 
once  belonging  to  Charles  I.  of  England,  and  still  bear- 
ing the  English  arms.  It  is  supposed  they  were  sold 
during  the  time  of  Cromwell,  though  how  they  came 
here,  we  are  not  told. 

There  are  twenty-four  chapels  in  the  side  aisles,  each 
containing  valuable  paintings  by  Cawer,  Jansens,  Por- 
bus,  De  Grayer,  Yander  Meiren,  Yander  Heuvel, 
Honthorst,  Roose,  Yennius,  Kubens,  and  the  brothers 
Hubert  and  John  Yan  Eyck.  Those  by  Rubens  are 
not  his  masterpieces,  and  I  have  not  time  to  particularize 
the  merits  of  the  other  artists,  save  to  notice  an  extra- 
ordinary picture  by  the  Yan  Eycks,  "  the  Adoration  of 
the  Spotless  Lamb,"  taken  from  the  Revelation  of  St. 
John.  There  are  more  than  three  hundred  heads  in 
this  picture,  and  each  one  is  as  highly  finished  as  though 
it  formed  a  separate  miniature.  It  was  painted  in  1432, 
and  yet  the  colors  are  as  perfect  as  though  put  on  yes- 
terday. It  is  truly  a  splendid  picture,  and  well  worth 
coming  to  Ghent  to  see.  In  one  of  the  chapels  is  the 
font  in  which  Charles  Y.  was  baptised,  who,  perhaps 
you  may  remember,  was  born  in  this  city,  Feb.  24, 1500. 

Although  the  weather  was  unfavorable,  a  few  drops 
of  rain  occasionally  falling,  we  went  up  to  the  top  of 
the  tower,  by  more  than  five  hundred  steps  ;  it  was  so 
very  misty,  however,  we  could  see  but  little  beyond  the 
immediate  city,  the  distant  country  being  shrouded  in 
obscurity. 

In  St.  Michael's  church,  are  some  magnificent  paint- 
ings, of  early  and  modern  date.  Here  is  the  celebrated 
Crucifixion  by  Yandyck,  for  which  he  was  paid  the  sum 
of  three  hundred  dollars!  The  corporation  of  the 


342  L  E  T  T  E  E  S  . 

church  have  lately  refused  forty  thousand  for  it,  offered 
them  by  some  gallery  in  England  !  Side  by  side  with 
this,  is  a  modern  painting,  by  a  Belgian  artist,  whose 
name,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  I  have  forgotten.  It  repre- 
sents the  miraculous  finding  of  the  cross,  to  which  I 
think  I  alluded  in  one  of  my  letters  from  Jerusalem,  and 
the  figure  of  the  Empress  Helena  in  it,  is  a  portrait  of 
the  beautiful  and  unfortunate  Josephine  of  France. 

There  is  a  fine  pulpit  in  this  church,  adorned  with 
exquisite  carvings,  in  wood  and  marble,  the  work  of 
another  Belgian  artist,  I  think  of  the  name  of  Franck. 

The  Tower,  called  the  Belfry,  is  one  of  the  most 
ancient  in  the  city,  dating  as  far  back  as  the  twelfth 
century.  It  was  originally  used  as  a  watch-tower,  and 
contained  the  alarm  bell,  the  stroke  of  which  was  suffi- 
cient, at  any  time,  to  call  the  turbulent  citizens  to  anus. 
In  the  rear  of  this  tower,  is  a  prison,  and  while  we  were 
stopping  to  admire  its  antique  doorway,  an  officer  came 
up  with  a  prisoner.  Just  as  the  door  was  opened,  the 
man,  quick  as  lightning,  kicked  off  his  wooden  shoes, 
and  darted  down  the  street,  the  officer  in  full  hue  and 
cry  after  him,  calling  on  those  in  the  street  to  stop  him, 
but  nobody  heeded  the  call.  A  great  crowd  collected 
at  the  corner  of  the  street,  and  soon  the  runaway  ap- 
peared between  two  officers,  each  holding  him  by  a 
cord  twisted  so  tightly  around  the  wrist,  that  the  poor 
man's  hands  were  actually  livid. 

The  Town  Hall  is  a  splendid  specimen  of  ancient 
architecture,  having  been  commenced  in  the  fifteenth 
century ;  it  is  elaborately  adorned  with  carvings  and 
Gothic  arches. 

In  the  large  square,  called  the  "  Friday  Market,"  the 
inauguration  of  the  Counts  of  Flanders  formerly  took 


LETTERS.  343 

place.  Here,  Jacques  Van  Artevelde,  in  1340,  headed 
a  band  of  weavers,  against  an  opposite  faction,  when 
such  a  furious  battle  ensued,  that  fifteen  hundred 
dead  bodies  were  left  on  the  square.  Here,  in  1381, 
Philip  Van  Artevelde  was  made  "  Protector"  of  Ghent, 
and  here,  in  later  days,  under  the  cruel  Duke  of  Alva, 
the  terrible  fires  of  the  Inquisition  were  lighted,  which 
were  quenched  only  in  blood.  Oh !  what  scenes  of 
dread  and  horror  has  this  square  witnessed ! 

Near  the  Fish  Market,  is  an  old  gateway,  built  in 
868,  which  formerly  led  to  the  castle  of  the  Counts  of 
Flanders,  in  which  Queen  Philippa,  wife  of  Edward  III. 
of  England,  gave  birth  to  that  son  called  "  John  of 
Gaunt,"  after  this  city. 

Rich  historical  associations  cluster  around  this  an- 
cient city,  and  make  it  exceedingly  interesting.  Here, 
in  1477,  Mary  of  Burgundy  was  married  to  the  Grand 
Duke  Maximilian,  and  by  this  event,  that  part  of  Europe 
called  the  "  Low  Countries,"  was  annexed  to  the  do- 
minions of  Austria. 

Many  of  the  houses  in  Ghent  are  exceedingly  pictur- 
esque, having  gables  rising  in  steps,  like  those  I  saw  in 
Antwerp.  On  one  of  the  canals,  stands  a  fine  old 
house  of  this  description,  bearing  the  date  of  1513. 
On  the  gable  are  carved  the  insignia  of  the  craft  of 
watermen.  The  windows  are  pointed,  thus  presenting 
quite  an  ecclesiastical  appearance. 

We  drove  to  the  ruin  of  an  old  abbey,  which  the  fe- 
male cicerone  told  us  was  on  the  site  of  the  oldest 
Christian  church  in  Europe,  but  perhaps  she  meant  in 
this  part  of  Europe.  In  a  court-yard,  were  found,  in 
digging  down  into  the  earth,  some  very  ancient  tombs, 
but  as  I  stood  in  the  wet  grass,  looking  at  them,  the 


344  LETTERS. 

rain  pouring  down  upon  me,  I  thought  I  was  in  a  fair 
way  of  soon  reaching  my  own,  so  I  was  glad  to  give  up 
sight-seeing,  and  come  home. 

After  dinner,  we  went  to  a  chapel  connected  with  a 
nunnery,  to  see  the  sisterhood  at  their  evening  prayers. 
The  church  was  but  dimly  lighted,  and  all  I  could  see, 
was  hundreds  of  kneeling  figures,  shrouded  in  black, 
with  immense  white  handkerchiefs  of  stiffened  muslin, 
thrown  over  their  heads.  There  was  some  chanting  by 
female  voices,  but  nothing  very  remarkable  about  it,  and 
the  priest  muttered  over  his  part,  and  one  of  the  sisters 
went  round  with  a  plate  to  take  pay  for  the  chairs  which 
were  used,  and  the  hard  expression  of  her  face,  seen  in  the 
dim  light,  and  the  clinking  of  the  copper  coins,  detract- 
ed a  great  deal  from  the  impressiveness  of  the  scene. 

Most  of  these  nuns  live  in  separate  houses ;  they 
teach  the  poor  children,  and  nurse  the  sick,  but  are 
bound  by  no  vows,  each  being  at  liberty  to  return  to  the 
world,  whenever  she  pleases.  Many  of  these  sisters  are 
from  rich  and  noble  families  of  Belgium.  We  went 
into  one  of  the  houses  ;  every  thing  was  neat  and  clean, 
but  I  had  not  much  opportunity  to  look  around,  the 
"  sister"  being  so  very  anxious  to  sell  us  little  articles 
made  by  the  children,  the  profits  of  which  were  for  the 
poor,  she  said.  These  houses  compose  a  large  village 
by  themselves,  and  are  enclosed  within  walls,  the  gates 
of  which  are  shut  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

To-day,  we  have  been  to  Bruges,  another  old  Flemish 
town,  of  about  fifty 'thousand  inhabitants,  one-third  of 
which  are  said  to  be  paupers.  In  the  fourteenth  cen- 
tury, the  commerce  of  the  whole  world  was  centred  in 
this  city  ;  privileged  companies  of  merchants,  from  sev- 
•enteen  different  nations,  were  doing  business  here,  and 


LETTERS.  345 

twenty  foreign  ministers  were  residing  here.  Now, 
there  is  but  little  commerce  or  manufactures  going  on ; 
its  streets  and  canals  se*em  almost  deserted,  and  the 
stones  of  many  of  the  streets  are  overgrown  with  grass. 
But  it  is  a  rare  old  town,  and  far  richer  in  picturesque 
houses  than  Ghent.  Our  first  visit  was  to  the  Hospital 
of  St.  John,  in  the  chapter-house  of  which  hang  some 
celebrated  paintings  by  Hans  Hemling,  who  came  here 
as  a  patient,  in  1477,  and  remained  eight  years,  coming 
here  "  blessed,"  our  guide  said,  (meaning  "  wounded," 
not  "  canonized,")  his  mixture  of  French  words  being 
thrown  in  in  a  very  judicious  way,  to  help  out  his  im- 
perfect English.  These  pictures  Hemling  painted  and 
gave  to  the  Hospital,  in  token  of  his  gratitude  for  ser- 
vices rendered  to  him.  They  are  admirably  done,  and 
as  yet  bear  no  marks  of  age,  although  nearly  four  hun- 
dred years  old. 

.  In  this  room  is  a  shrine  of  wood,  made  like  a  little 
church,  in  which  the  arm  of  St.  Ursula  once  reposed. 
On  the  outside  of  this  shrine,  are  paintings  representing 
scenes  in  the  life  of  St.  Ursula  and  the  eleven  thousand 
virgins  of  Cologne,  to  which  subject  I  have  already 
referred,  in  my  letter  from  that  city.  In  one  of  these 
little  pictures  are  seventy  figures,  each  one  executed 
witli  the  most  exquisite  finish.  Ah !  he  was  a  rare  old 
painter,  that  Hans  Hemling ! 

Our  next  pause  was  at  the  church  of  Notre  Dame, 
where  are  many  beautiful  paintings,  and  rich  carvings 
in  wood.  There  is  a  statue  of  the  Virgin  .Mary  and 
infant  Jesus,  said  to  have  been  done  by  Michael  Angelo. 
The  child  is  perfectly  beautiful,  but  I  do  not  like  the 
face  of  the  mother ;  it  has  a  hard,  cross,  pouting  look. 
It  is  not  known  how  this  statue  ever  found  its  way  here, 


346  LETTERS. 

but  the  tradition  is,  that  a  vessel,  bearing  it  to  England, 
was  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Flanders.  The  report  is, 
that  Horace  Walpole  once  oflered  nearly  fifteen  thou- 
sand dollars  for  this  group. 

In  a  side  chapel,  (but  concealed  from  view  by  large 
wooden  screens,  so  that  we  were  obliged  to  pay  a  franc 
extra  for  seeing  them,)  are  the  monuments  of  Charles 
the  Bold  and  Mary  of  Burgundy.  Around  the  sides 
are  the  coats  of  arms  and  the  various  titles  of  those 
sovereigns,  and  on  the  top  of  each,  a  full  length  statue 
of  copper,  richly  gilt,  and  beautifully  wrought. 

The  Cathedral  is  an  immense  edifice  of  brick,  not 
handsome  certainly,  externally,  but  beautiful  within, 
with  its  rich  collection  of  old  pictures. 

The  Town  Hall  is  a  beautiful  edifice,  in  the  Gothic 
style,  built  in  137*7,  and  adorned  with  niches  in  front, 
in  which  were  formerly  statues  of  the  Counts  of  Flan- 
ders, but  in  the  visit  of  the  French  revolutionists  here, 
they  were  all  thrown  down,  being  considered  as  "  repre- 
sentatives of  tyrants." 

Near  this,  is  the  Palace  of  Justice,  in  which  there  is 
a  magnificent  fireplace,  of  black  marble,  surrounded  by 
carvings  in  wood,  and  adorned  with  full  length  statues 
of  Charles  V.,  Mary  and  Maximilian,  Charles  the  Bold 
and  Margaret  of  York,  besides  having  rich  bas-reliefs 
in  white  marble.  This  fireplace  is  eight  feet  high  and 
ten  wide,  according  to  our  own  measurement. 

On  one  side  of  "  the  Grand  Place,"  is  a  building 
called  the  "  Halls,"  of  brick,  commenced  in  1291.  It 
has  a  beautiful  Gothic  tower,  to  the  top  of  which  we 
went,  (by  four  hundred  and  two  steps,)  to  get  the  view, 
which  was  very  fine.  The  land  around  Bruges  is  ex- 
ceedingly level,  but  rich  as  a  garden,  and  cultivated  to 


LETTERS.  347 

the  very  utmost,  and  fields  and  woods,  canals  and  vil- 
lages, and  the  distant  sea,  and  the  town  of  Ostend, 
formed  a  pretty  picture.  In  this  tower  is  a  chime  of 
bells,  considered  the  finest  in  Europe.  Permit  me  to 
copy  this  little  account  of  them,  that  I  bought  on  the 
spot.  "  They  consist  of  forty-eight  bells,  the  largest  of 
which  weighs  eleven  thousand  three  hundred  and 
eighty-nine  pounds,  and  the  smallest,  twelve  pounds ; 
the  weight  of  the  whole  forty-eight  is  fifty-five  thousand 
one  hundred  and  sixty-six  pounds,  and  they  cost  sixty 
thousand  dollars.  They  are  played  by  one  hundred  and 
forty  hammers.  The  weights  moving  the  drum,  by 
means  of  which  the  chimes  are  made  to  play  every  hour, 
are  four  thousand  pounds.  The  drum  is  made  of  cop- 
per; it  weighs  nineteen  thousand  nine  hundred  and 
sixty-six  pounds,  and  serves  to  vary  amd  regulate  the 
chimes." 

The  machinery  is  very  intricate  and  complicated,  at 
least  to  one  who  is  no  more  of  a  mathematician  than  I 
am,  and  difficult  as  it  was  for  me -to  understand  it,  it 
would  be  altogether  too  much  trouble  to  attempt  to  ex- 
plain it  to  another.  It  was  all  very  wonderful,  and  I 
looked  at  it  with  perfect  amazement.  The  face  of  the 
clock  is  nineteen  feet  in  diameter,  and  each  of  the 
figures  is  three  feet  in  height. 

On  another  side  of  the  "  Grand  Place"  is  the  house 
where  Charles  II.  lived  while  an  exile  from  England, 
and  near  it  is  the  site  of  the  building  that  was  the 
prison  of  the  Emperor  Maximilian,  shut  up  here  by  his 
own  subjects,  till  he  swore  to  grant  certain  conditions 
which  they  required. 

"We  rested  ourselves,  after  this  long  promenade  and 
gazing  about,  with  a  good  dinner  at  the  "  Hotel  du 


348  LETTERS. 

Commerce,"  and  then  walked  through  some  of  the 
principal  streets  to  the  railway  station,  and  came  back 
to  Ghent.  Just  as  we  had,  as  the  tourists  say,  "  done 
up"  Bruges 

"  The  sky  with  clouds  was  overcast, 
The  rain  began  to  fall," 

but  we  were  thankful  it  did  not  begin  to  come  down 
before. 

From  here  to  Bruges  it  is  about  twenty-nine  miles, 
and  there  is  not  a  hill  in  the  whole  distance,  but  the 
country  is  exceedingly  pretty,  varied  with  meadows 
bordered  with  hedges,  and  woods,  and  streams,  and 
neat  villages,  with  their  red-tiled  roofs. 

There,  I  have  written  this  long  letter  without  rising 
from  my  chair,  and  I  must  say  my  fingers  ache,  so  I 
will  not  add  another  word.  But  I  must  tell  you  how- 
ever, that  at  the  dinner  table  here  yesterday,  there 
were  about  thirty  Belgian  officers,  and  to  our  great  sur- 
prise not  one  of  them  took  any  wine,  a  remarkable 
instance  of  abstinence  for  these  countries.  An  English 
gentleman,  noticing  this  circumstance,  said  to  the 
waiter  after  dinner,  "  how  happens  it  those  officers  take 
no  wine  ?  Why  the  officers  in  our  army  not  only  take 
their  bottle  of  wine  every  day  at  dinner,  but  keep  their 
horses  and  carriages  too."  "  Oh,  sir,"  atiswered  the 
waiter,  with  an  expressive  shrug  of  the  shoulders, 
"  it  is  different  here ;  not  one  of  these  officers  could 
afford  to  keep  a  dog  even."  So  then  it  seems  "  it  is 
their  poverty,  not  their  will,"  that  makes  them  temper- 
ate. They  dine  here  daily  at  four  o'clock,  and  pay  by 
the  month,  which  may  be  an  interesting  fact  to  you, 
for  it  seemed  so  to  our  "  valet  de  place,"  who  told  it  to 
us  with  a  great  deal  of  gusto. 


LETTERS.  349 


LETTER    LXXXIX. 

Rain. — Mechlin. — Vilvorde. — Arrival  at  Brussels. — Fish. — Place-Royal- 
—Statue  of  Godfrey  of  Bouillon.— Arcade.— The  Park.— Rue  Royale. 
Gallery  of  Pictures. — The  Cathedral. — Funeral  Ceremony. — Lace  Man- 
ufactory.—The  Grande  Place.— Hotel  de  Ville.— Incident.— The  House 
of  the  King. 

BBTJSSELS,  Oct.  20th. 
Mr  DEAKEST  F. : 

We  have  already  been  here  nearly  three  days,  and 
yet  I  have  scarcely  any  thing  to  tell  you  of  this  city,  to 
which  I  have  looked  forward  with  a  great  deal  of  pleas- 
ure for  many  months.  "With  the  exception  of  a  few 
hours,  it  has  rained  ever  since  our  arrival  here,  or 
rather  I  should  say,  ever  since  our  departure  from  Bru- 
ges on  Tuesday.  We  left  Ghent  in  such  a  rain  on 
Wednesday  that  we  did  not  think  it  advisable  to  stop 
at  Mechlin,  though  it  was  an  old  town  I  was  very 
anxious  to  see,  but  I  really  cannot  stand  sight-seeing 
in  a  soaking  rain  ;  it  produces  too  damp  an  effect  upon 
one's  enthusiasm,  to  say  nothing  of  one's  clothes. 

The  country  between  Ghent  and  Brussels  is  very 
pretty,  level,  but  well-wooded,  well-watered  and  culti- 
vated to  the,  utmost.  The  houses  are  of  brick,  gener- 
ally one  story  in  height,  and  look  clean  and  comfort- 
able. We  passed  by  Mechlin,  known  for  its  lace, 
though  if  you  called  it  Mechlin  here  no  one  but  those 
speaking  the  Flemish  language  would  understand  you, 
for  in  French  it  is  Malines,  and  French  is  the  predom- 
inant language  now.  and  the  money  is  reckoned  by 
francs,  so  we  are  quite  at  home  in  that  currency. 

The  next  place  of  interest  was  Vilvorde,  where  Tin- 


350  LETTERS. 

dal,  translator  of  the  Bible  into  the  English  language, 
was  strangled  at  the  stake  in  1536  as  a  heretic,  and 
afterwards  burnt  outside  the  town. 

There  are  pretty  gardens,  and  parks,  and  country- 
seats  between  Yilvorde  and  this  city,  and  I  should  think 
the  drives  around  here  would  be  delightful,  but  hitherto 
we  have  had  no  opportunity  of  testing  this.  Arriving 
at  the  station,  we  soon  found  ourselves  with  a  dozen 
others  in  a  large  omnibus,  the  top  fairly  loaded  with 
luggage,  and  just  as  we  entered  the  precincts  of  the 
city,  we  were  stopped  by  a  custom-house  officer,  who 
wanted  to  know  if  we  had  any  fish.  You  may  be  sure 
the  question  took  us  all  by  surprise,  and  the  exclama- 
tion, "  fish  !"  "  du  poisson  !"  resounded  on  all  sides. 
At  last  the  mystery  came  out,  the  city  people  were 
afraid  of  the  country  folks  smuggling  fish  into  the 
town,  and  thus  depriving  them  of  a  part  of  their  law- 
ful revenues. 

After  duly  pinching  all  the  carpet  bags  inside  the 
omnibus,  the  officer  went  on  top,  though  how  he  could 
know  what  was  in  those  huge  trunks  I  could  not  tell, 
as  he  had  not  demanded  a  single  key.  One  lady  ex- 
pressing this  difficulty,  a  gentleman,  in  broken  English, 
answered  "  why  when  he  feels  the  smell,"  and  here  he 
made  an  expressive  gesture  with  his  nose,  "  of  a  fish, 
then  he  come  down  and  make  cry  for  the  keys."  A 
large  basket  puzzled  the  officer,  and  down  he  came 
with  it,  to  demand  what  was  in  it.  He  was  told  in 
French  and  in  English,  "  books,"  and  replying  "  boo- 
kos,"  which  I  know  not  whether  he  meant  for  English, 
French  or  Flemish,  he  ordered  it  to  be  carried  back, 
and  on  we  came  to  the  Hotel  de  L'Europe,  situated  on 
a  square  called  Place  Royal,  surrounded  by  handsome 


LETTERS.  351 

houses.  In  the  centre  of  the  square  is  an  equestrian 
statue  in  bronze,  of  Godfrey  of  Bouillon  holding  in  one 
hand  a  partially  furled  banner,  which  at  first  sight  I  took 
to  be  an  umbrella  half  closed  by  the  wind.  Perhaps  the 
dismal  weather  had  something  to  do  with  this  illusion, 
but  I  cannot  go  to  the  window,  and  look  at  the  statue 
without  catching  myself  saying  "  it  does  look  like  an 
umbrella." 

A  straggling  sunbeam  burst  out  yesterday  afternoon 
and  immediately  I  threw  down  my  pen,  and  rushed 
forth  to  get  a  breath  of  fresh  air,  and  a  glimpse  of  this 
city  called  "  Paris  on  a  small  scale."  I  actually  had 
not  walked  down  one  steep  street  (you  must  remember 
a  hill  is  quite  a  curiosity  to  us,  not  having  seen  one  for 
two  weeks,)  before  the  weather  warned  me  I  should 
soon  have  to  turn  back,  but  I  was  willing  to  brave  it 
a  little  for  the  sake  of  peeping  into  the  windows  full  of 
beautiful  things,  every  third  or  fourth  window  splen- 
didly decked  out  with  laces,  this  city  being  famous,  as 
you  all  know,  for  the  manufacture  of  such  commodi- 
ties. Then  we  came  to  a  handsome  arcade  or  long 
street,  with  a  roof  of  glass,  and  on  either  side  were 
shops  filled  with  every  thing  handsome  and  tempting. 
Here,  walking  back  and  forth,  occasionally  stepping 
into  a  shop  to  inquire  the  price  of  an  article,  or  to  ven- 
ture on  a  slight  purchase,  I  was  quite  protected  from 
the  weather. 

This  morning  we  intended  going  to  Waterloo,  but  the 
weather  was  by  no  means  clear  ;  however  we  thought 
it  quite  safe  to  venture  out  within  the  limits  of  the 
city,  though  we  had  not  gone  far  before  the  rain  began 
to  come  down  again  in  right  earnest.  But  I  was  deter- 
mined not  to  give  up  and  come  home  till  I  had  seen  a 


352  LETTERS. 

little  of  the  city.  There  is  a  very  pretty  Park  here, 
with  walks  shaded  by  o'er-arching  trees,  now  almost 
stripped  of  their  leaves.  It  is  surrounded  by  Palaces 
and  handsome  houses,  and  must  form  a  delightful 
promenade  in  pleasant  weather,  but  rather  a  dreary 
one  just  now,  I  must  confess,  with  the  wind  blowing  as 
cold  and  bleak  as  in  December  with  us. 

Brussels  is  the  capital  of  Belgium,  and  the  king's 
palace  fronts  this  park.  The  king  is  at  present  away  ; 
in  fact  we  do  not  seem  "to  be  at  the  right  season  any 
where  for  seeing  crowned  heads,  the  royal  personages 
not  having  yet  returned  from  their  summer  tour.  But 
after  all,  "  crowned  heads,"  particularly  without  the 
crowns,  look  very  much  like  other  heads. 

On  one  side  of  the  park  is  "  Rue  Royale,"  a  street 
three  miles  in  length,  and  adorned  with  handsome 
houses,  in  one  of  which  it  is  said  the  Duchess  of  Rich- 
mond gave  the  grand  ball  to  the  Duke  of  Wellington 
just  before  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  when,  as  Byron 
says,  "  all  went  merry  as  a  marriage  bell." 

In  this  street  we  stopped  to  visit  a  private  gallery  of 
pictures,  a  beautiful  collection,  mostly  of  the  old  Dutch 
and  Flemish  school,  in  which  one  does  not  see  so  many 
naked  figures  as  in  the  Italian  school,  but  cottage  and 
village  groups,  choice  bits  of  landscapes,  cattle,  "  as 
natural  as  life,"  and  noble  looking  portraits  of  men 
and  women  in  deep,  stiff  ruffles,  or  large  collars  of 
point  lace. 

Our  next  destination  was  to  the  Cathedral,  an  impos- 
ing Gothic  church,  with  two  magnificent  square  towers 
in  front.  The  interior  is  rich  in  monuments  and  win- 
dows of  beautifully  stained  glass,  the  latter  being  more 
than  three  hundred  years  old.  The  pulpit  is  an  immense 


LETTERS.  353 

piece  of  wood  carving,  representing  Adam  and  Eve 
driven  out  of  Paradise,  the  figures  as  large  as  life.  In 
all  these  Flemish  churches  there  seems  to  be  such  a 
taste  for  elaborately  carved  pulpits,  and  I  must  confess 
I  should  like  it  on  one  account,  for  if  I  was  not  inter- 
ested in  the  minister,  I  could  look  at  the  pulpit. 

There  was  a  funeral  service  in  the  church  while  we 
were  there,  and  occasionally  the  organ  burst  forth  with 
a  strain  of  rich  melody,  and  a  trumpet  added  its  stir- 
ring notes.  One  of  the  officiating  priests  had  a  mag- 
nificent voice,  which  now  and  then  came  out  clear  and 
full,  but  there  was  a  great  deal  of  form  and  ceremony 
that  I  could  not  understand.  At  a  certain  part  of  the 
service,  one  of  the  priests,  standing  on  the  steps  of  the 
altar  before  the  coffin,  held  something  in  his  hand  like- 
a  gilt  plate,  which  all  the  men  in  the  church  went  up 
and  kissed,  and  the  quickness  with  which  the  priest 
held  it  to  the  lips  of  one,  wiped  it  on  a  napkin,  and  then 
had  it  ready  for  the  next  one,  was  a  marvel.  Each 
man,  as  he  passed  the  coffin,  carried  a  lighted  candle, 
which  he  held  in  his  hand  till  he  had  kissed  the  plate, 
and  then  gave  it  up  for  the  next  comer,  and  thus  can- 
dles and  kisses  passed  in  quick  succession.  Our  guide 
told  us  afterwards  that  what  I  thought  was  a  plate,  was 
a  little  coffer  inclosing  a  famous  relic.  I  should  have 
liked  to  have  seen  the  end  of  the  ceremony,  but  we 
had  not  the  time  to  spare. 

Near  the  church  was  a  lace  manufactory,  and  we 
went  in  to  see  the  process.  Some  of  the  lace  made 
here  is  very  expensive,  and  is  said  to  be  worth  its 
weight  in  gold.  There  is  no  foundation  or  web  on 
which  the  work  is  placed,  but  each  thread  or  mesh  is 
formed  at  the  time  the  figures  are  made.  I  don't  know 
23 


354  LETTERS. 

as  I  make  this  clear  to  you,  but  it  is  as  well  as  I  can 
explain  it,  without  going  into  a  long  detail.  Another 
kind  is  made  in  a  different  way  ;  each  leaf  or  sprig  is 
worked  by  itself,  and  then  caught  together  by  the  finest 
possible  thread.  Still  another  kind  is  woven  by  the 
hand,  by  means  of  an  immense  number  of  little  spools, 
passed  in  and  out  and  around  a  barricade  of  pins.  I 
saw  one  collar  that  cost  a  woman  sixty-five  days'  labor, 
and  one  small  flower  that  another  was  five  days  in  work- 
ing. The  work-women  get  from  half  a  franc  (about  ten 
cents)  to  a  franc  and  a  half  a  day,  and  on  this  small 
pittance  contrive  to  support  themselves.  There  is  a 
box  at  the  door  for  those  who  become  in  tune  unable  to 
work,  but  who  has  the  charge  of  giving  out  this  money 
I  cannot  say.  It  is  a  delicate  way  of  asking  those  who 
visit  the  establishment  to  give  something  towards  it, 
though  truth  compels  me  to  add,  there  is  not  the  slight- 
est delicacy  manifested  in  begging  the  visitors  to  buy 
the  different  laces  exposed  for  sale  in  the  show-room. 

Passing  through  a  number  of  streets  composed  of 
both  antique  and  modern  looking  buildings,  we  came  to 
what  is  called  the  "  Grande  Place,"  lined  with  pictur- 
esque old  houses,  each  of  which  is  a  perfect  study  for 
an  artist,  and  almost  every  one  has  interesting  histor- 
ical associations  connected  with  it.  On  one  side  stands 
the  "  Hotel  de  Ville,"  or  Town  Hall,  a  perfect  speci- 
men of  Gothic  architecture,  dating  as  far  back  as  1401. 
The  tower,  three  hundred  and  sixty-four  feet  high,  is 
of  the  most  delicate  fret-work,  and  deserves  to  be 
ranked  by  the  side  of  the  spires  of  Notre  Dame  at  Ant- 
werp, and  St.  Stephen's  at  Vienna.  As  the  rain  was 
coming  down  with  respectable  vigor,  it  was  useless  to 
attempt  to  go  up  into  the  tower  to  get  the  view  of  the 


LETTERS.  355 

country,  so  we  contented  ourselves  with  walking 
through  a  few  of  the  rooms  below,  some  of  which 
had  portraits  of  worthies  long  passed  away,  and  the 
walls  of  two  or  three  were  lined  with  tapestries,  illus- 
trating events  in  the  life  of  Charles  V.,  &c.  The 
female  cicerone  told  us  that  monarch  signed  his  abdi- 
cation in  the  Gothic  hall  in  this  building,  but  others 
say  it  was  in  the  Palace,  which  stood  near  our  hotel, 
and  which  was  burned  down  in  1733. 

In  one  of  the  rooms  in  this  hall  all  civil  marriages 
take  place,  the  parties  afterwards  going  to  a  church 
and  having  the  religious  part  of  the  ceremony  per- 
formed. As  we  entered  the  room,  a  person  in  attend- 
ance there  began  to  collect  together  some  papers,  upon 
which  a  dialogue  ensued  between  him  and  our  con- 
ductor which  seemed  to  amuse  both  very  much.  As 
the  saying  is,  "  I  smelt  a  rat,"  and  thereupon  I  made  a 
few  inquiries,  which  elicited  the  following  interesting 
story :  The  magistrate,  or  whatever  his  title  may  be, 
seeing  a  "  likely  looking"  couple  like  us  entering  the 
room,  supposed  we  came  to  get  married,  (he  must  have 
thought  we  were  beginning  life  rather  late  in  the  day,) 
and  on  expressing  his  surprise  at  our  coming  on  Fri- 
day, a  day  it  seems  that  few  knots  are  tied  here,  the 
cicerone  told  him  we  were  strangers  visiting  the  Hall. 
If  he  had  been  counting  on  a  fee  he  must  have  felt  a 
little  disappointed  at  this  overthrow  of  his  hopes. 

Opposite  the  Town  Hall  there  is  a  large  house  built 
in  heavy  Gothic  style,  called  "  the  house  of  the  Bang." 
Here  "  the  cruel  Alva"  lived,  and  it  is  said  he  used  to 
stand  at  the  window  and  look  out  upon  executions  in 
the  square  below,  called  forth  by  his  insatiable  thirst 
for  blood. 


356  LETTERS. 

On  our  way  home  we  passed  through  the  markets 
devoted  to  flowers,  fruits  and  poultry,  and  stopped  at 
the  exhibition  of  paintings  by  modern  Belgian  artists, 
comprising  a  large  collection,  some  of  them  very  beau- 
tiful, and  others  not  rising  above  mediocrity. 

The  gallery  of  old  paintings  was  closed,  so  we  could 
not  judge  of  its  merits,  and  as  for  zoological  cabinets 
and  museums,  we  have  already  seen  so  many,  we  are 
not  ambitious  of  visiting  any  others,  and  the  rain  pre- 
venting us  walking  round  or  even  taking  a  drive,  we 
turned  our  steps  homeward. 

And  now  I  will  pause  to  take  a  little  rest. 


LETTER    XC. 

Changeable  Weather. — Visit  to  Waterloo. — Sergeant  Munday. — Field  of 
Battle. — Brilliant  Display. — More  Kain. — Disappointment. 

BRUSSELS,  Oct.  21. 
Mr  DEAR  P. : 

The  sky  was  watched  with  great  eagerness  this  morn- 
ing, and  it  chose  to  assume  various  hues,  so  as  one 
time  to  convince  us  the  day  would  be  fine,  and  at 
another  to  assure  us  that  it  would  be  folly  to  attempt 
to  go  to  Waterloo.  We  were  very  anxious  to  visit  that 
celebrated  spot  to-day,  for  on  Monday  we  must  go  to 
Paris,  and  to  come  to  Brussels  without  going  to  Water- 
loo, would  be  like  seeing  the  play  of  Hamlet  performed, 
with  the  part  of  Hamlet  left  out.  At  last  all  doubts 
were  happily  removed ;  the  sun  came  out  beautifully, 
and  at  ten  o'clock  we  mounted  on  top  of  the  coach, 
and  found  ourselves  borne  quickly  through  the  streets 


LETTERS.  357 

"by  four  good  horses.  At  first  I  felt  rather  awkward  in 
my  elevated  position,  for  I  have  not  moved  so  high  in 
the  air  since  I  was  mounted  on  that  tall  camel  between 
Akaba  and  Hebron. 

The  road  is  paved  the  whole  distance  from  here  to 
Waterloo  (about  ten  miles,)  but  from  the  heavy  rains 
that  have  fallen  lately,  it  was  not  in  the  best  possible 
condition,  and  for  the  first  two  or  three  miles  my  atten- 
tion was  quite  absorbed  in  the  efforts  necessary  to  keep 
myself  upright  on  the  seat,  and  by  that  time,  (I  hope 
you  will  sympathize  with  me,)  the  sun  went  behind  a 
cloud,  or  somewhere  else,  and  the  rain  "  began  to  fall," 
and  I  was  obliged  to  descend  from  my  elevated  posi- 
tion, and  betake  myself  to  the  inside  of  the  coach, 
which  I  had  all  to  myself. 

I  had  an  idea  that  the  road  from  here  to  Waterloo 
ran  nearly  all  the  way  through  a  forest,  whereas  we 
scarcely  entered  the  forest  at  all,  but  went  through  vil- 
lages and  pretty  meadows,  some  looking  green,  and 
bright,  while  others,  having  been  recently  ploughed  up 
and  sown  with  winter  grain,  had  a  rich  brown  hue  that 
contrasted  beautifully  with  the  green  patches  around. 

Under  the  guidance  of  Sergeant  Munday,  himself 
an  actor  in  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  we  went  all  over  the 
field,  and  saw  the  positions  taken  by  different  portions 
of  the  contending  armies.  And  as  I  went  back  and 
forth,  and  looked  over  the  gently  undulating  country, 
beautifully  diversified  with  farm  houses,  and  orchards, 
and  fertile  fields,  I  could  not  but  contrast  the  scene  of 
to-day,  with  that  of  years  ago,  when  the  earth  was  cov- 
ered with  the  dying  and  the  dead,  and  the  air  was 
loaded  with  the  shrieks  of  the  wounded.  And  as  I 
listened  to  the  details  of  that  ever  memorable  day,  my 


358  LETTERS. 

sympathies  were  not  with  the  victors,  but  woman-like 
were  with  the  conquered,  and  as  I  thought  of  him 
whose  brilliant  star  set  that  day  forever,  I  caught  my- 
self more  than  once  exclaiming,  "  poor  Napoleon." 

I  flatter  not  myself  that  I  can  do  much  in  the  way 
of  enlightening  you  on  the  subject  of  this  battle,  for 
that  could  not  be  done  in  a  few  words.  Hundreds  and 
thousands  of  pages  have  been  written  about  it,  and 
every  body  that  visits  the  field  of  Waterloo  has  some- 
thing to  add  which  he  hopes  will  be  edifying,  and  if  I 
were  to  say  much  it  would  be  only  to  repeat  what  has 
been  said  by  wiser  people  than  I  am,  about  Napoleon's 
position,  and  Jerome  Bonaparte's  untimely  move,  and 
the  daring  of  the  French,  and  the  opposing  valor  of  the 
British,  the  bravery  of  the  German  legions,  and  the 
timely  approach  of  the  Prussians,  and  all  this  you 
have  heard  a  thousand  times. 

Just  as  we  reached  the  chateau  of  Hougoumont,  the 
sun  came  out  brightly,  and  although  the  grass  was  wet, 
I  suffered  no  inconvenience  from  it,  having  come  pre- 
pared for  wet  fields.  About  this  chateau  the  hottest 
of  the  fight  took  place,  and  the  walls  of  the  orchard 
and  of  some  of  the  out-buildings  still  remain,  bearing 
to  this  day  the  marks  of  the  hard  firing  going  on  at 
that  time.  The  old  house  caught  fire  and  burned 
nearly  to  the  ground,  and  the  chapel  was  sharing  the 
same  fate  when  the  flames  reached  a  crucifix  that  hung 
over  the  door,  and  suddenly  stopped,  which  was  consid- 
ered a  miracle  by  many. 

We  walked  over  the  graves  of  hundreds,  many  of 
the  dead  having  been  buried  just  where  they  fell.  Two 
or  three  monuments  mark  the  spot  where  some  noble 
commander  died,  but  grass  and  grain  grow  over  the 


LETTERS.  359 

greater  part  of  the  field,  and  trees  wave  their  branches 
in  the  wind,  the  only  monument  that  tells  where  hun- 
dreds are  sleeping  their  last  sleep. 

The  ground  occupied  by  the  contending  armies  did 
not  extend  more  than  a  mile  and  a  half  from  right  to 
left,  yet,  on  that  small  space  of  ground  it  is  computed 
seventy-five  thousand  persons  were  killed  and  wounded. 
Oh !  what  a  fearful  slaughter  (for  I  cannot  call  it  by  a 
softer  name)  was  that !  "What  bright  hopes  were 
quenched,  what  fond  hearts  made  desolate !  And  for 
what  ?  To  crush  the  ambition  of  one  nation  and  its 
leader,  or  to  exalt  another  people  to  a  higher  eminence 
than  they  had  before  attained  ? 

Of  course  we  brought  away  a  few  relics  from  the 
field  of  Waterloo,  two  or  three  bullets  and  buttons,  a 
cane  cut  from  an  old  tree,  and  some  chestnuts  from  the 
grounds  of  Hougoumont,  from  which  we  may  yet  raise 
Waterloo  trees  at  home. 

And  thus  we  have  visited  the  far  famed  field  of  Wa- 
terloo, and  I  have  less  interest  than  ever  in  war  and  its 
cruel  results,  and  to  my  last  breath  would  cry,  "  my 
voice  is  still  for  peace." 

This  evening  the  stars  came  out  brightly,  and  we 
took  a  long  walk  through  the  brilliantly  lit  streets,  and 
lightened  our  purses  considerably. 

Sunday  22.  The  bright  stars  last  evening  were 
false  lights,  for  they  ushered  in  a  pour-down  rain  this 
morning,  instead  of  the  genial  sun,  as  we  fondly  expected 
from  the  favorable  auspices.  I  ventured  out  to-day 
merely  to  go  to  the  English  chapel,  the  weather  being 
quite  too  unfavorable  to  tempt  me  to  stay  out  longer  than 
necessary.  I  feel  very  much  disappointed  in  this  visit 
to  Brussels.  I  had  anticipated  so  much  pleasure,  and 


360  LETTERS. 

these  anticipations  like  many  others  have  been  much 
more  pleasant  than  the  reality.  Yet  travellers  have  to 
take  their  chance  in  all  these  things,  and  they  must 
learn  to  make  the  most  of  the  fine  weather,  as  of  every 
other  blessing  vouchsafed  to  them.  And  with  this  apt 
moral  reflection  I  will  leave  you. 


LETTER    XCI. 

At  Home  in  Paris. — Examination  of  Luggage. — Hotel  Bedford. — Famil- 
iar Sights  and  Sounds. — Cafe. — Champs  Elysees. — Madeleine. — Last 
Days  in  Paris. 

PARIS,  Oct.  27th. 
MY  DEAR  F. : 

I  can't  tell  you  what  a  feeling  of  home  is  given  us 
in  the  sound  of  "  Paris,"  in  the  consciousness  we  are 
once  more  in  "  dear  delightful  Paris,"  that  city  where 
we  spent  so  many  pleasant  days  thirteen  years  ago.  And 
as  I  walk  along  the  streets,  and  see  so  many  familiar 
houses  and  even  the  very  signs  we  saw  then,  I  find  it 
hard  to  realize  that  so  many  years  have  rolled  away 
since  we  were  here.  And  when  you  call  to  mind,  that 
excepting  Liverpool  and  London,  Paris  is  the  only 
place  we  have  visited  before,  you  can  in  a  measure 
realize  the  truth  of  my  assertion,  that  in  this  city  we 
feel  at  home. 

And  now  to  review  the  past  a  little.  We  left  Brus- 
sels on  the  morning  of  the  23d,  our  old  enemy  the  rain 
pursuing  us  with  relentless  vigor.  We  were  more  than 
ten  hours  on  the  railroad,  the  distance  being  about  230 
miles.  I  can  say  but  little  of  the  country  through 
which  we  passed,  the  rain  obliging  us  the  most  of  the 


LETTERS.  361 

time  to  keep  the  windows  closed.  Had  I  time  I  should 
like  to  descant  on  the  continental  railroads,  and  show 
the  many  points  wherein  they  excel  those  in  our  own 
country,  but  "  time  flies"  and  I  must  fly  with  it. 

At  Valenciennes,  the  frontier  town,  our  light  luggage 
that  we  had  with  us,  such  as  carpet-bags,  valises,  &c., 
was  examined,  while  that  of  the  heavier  artillery, 
trunks  and  boxes,  was  reserved  till  our  entrance  into 
this  city.  At  Valenciennes  it  looked  formidable,  for 
the  ladies  were  all  taken  into  a  separate  room,  where 
stood  a  fierce-looking  woman,  who  told  us  in  loud  tones 
she  should  search  the  person  of  any  one  she  suspected 
for  a  moment  to  be  smuggling  laces  or  any  other  contra- 
band articles.  Whether  we  were  really  very  honest,  or 
whether  her  suspicions  were  not  excited,  I  know  not. 
This  one  thing  I  do  know,  that  nothing  more  was  done 
than  to  look  pretty  closely  into  carpet-bags  and  baskets, 
and  as  each  key  was  turned,  and  each  trembling  female 
allowed  to  pass  on,  all  faces  wore  a  brighter  and  less 
troubled  look,  and  in  due  time  we  were  seated  once 
more  in  the  cars,  and  the  "  iron  horse"  bore  us  swiftly 
on.  The  examination  in  Paris  was  equally  light,  as  far 
as  we  were  concerned,  and  in  a  little  while  after  our 
arrival  at  the  barrier,  we  were  in  comfortable  quarters 
in  Hotel  Bedford. 

Thus  far,  since  our  arrival  in  Paris,  I  have  spent  the 
most  of  my  time,  when  it  has  been  sufficiently  pleasant, 
out  of  doors,  lounging  along  the  Boulevards,  or  in  the 
gardens  of  the  Tuilleries,  exulting  in  my  freedom 
from  journalizing  or  letter  writing,  for  as  I  Wrote  you 
so  fully  from  Paris  when  I  was  here  before,  there 
remains  but  little  for  me  now  to  add,  unless  indeed  I 


362  LETTERS. 

repeat  what  I  said  then,  and  that  my  time  is  altogether 
too  precious  to  allow  me  to  do. 

The  shops  along  the  Boulevards  and  the  Rue  Rivoli 
look  as  brilliant  as  ever.  There  is  the  same  display  of 
rich  goods  in  the  windows,  and  in  the  streets  the  same 
restless,  moving  throng  of  people.  The  ladies  still  hold 
up  their  dresses  with  that  pretty  grace,  that  it  is  impos- 
sible for  any  one  but  a  French  woman  to  attempt  to 
practice. 

Along  Rue  Rivoli,  as  well  as  in  some  other  streets, 
we  see  important  changes,  proof  that  Napoleon  III.  is 
doing  all  in  his  power  to  beautify  and  improve  his  capi- 
tal. And  here  I  will  just  say,  we  shall  not  have  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  that  monarch  and  his  lovely  wife, 
the  court  being  at  present  out  of  the  city. 

This  morning,  we  went  to  a  cafe*  opposite  the  Tuil- 
eries,  to  breakfast,  that  we  frequented  very  often  when 
in  Paris  before.  There  were  the  same  red  books,  con- 
taining the  bills  of  fare,  and  for  aught  I  knew,  the  same 
waiter  that  attended  on  our  wants  years  ago.  And  to 
heighten  the  illusion,  a  regiment  was*  reviewed  right 
opposite  our  windows,  and  the  band  played  the  Marsel- 
laise,  just  as  in  olden  times. 

Oct.  28th.  Engaged  a  good  deal  of  the  time  in  that 
most  feminine  occupation,  shopping,  having  commissions 
to  execute  for  a  "  thousand  and  one  friends"  at  home. 
"We  varied  the  scene  this  afternoon,  by  walking  out  to 
the  Champs  Elyseeis,  where  was,  as  ever,  a  crowd  intent 
on  pleasure  and  amusements  of  different  kinds.  Noth- 
ing struck  me  more  than  the  little  carriages  drawn  by 
goats,  while  the  reins  would  be  held  by  a  charming 
child,  all  life  and  animation,  her  nurse  walking  along 
by  the  side  of  the  carriage.  The  weather  was  lovely, 


LETTERS.  363 

and  I  enjoyed  the  sunshine  and  the  "warm  air  fully  as 
much  as  the  children. 

Passing  by  the  Madeleine  this  morning,  that  beautiful 
church  I  have  once  described  so  fully  to  you,  I  saw  that 
something  unusual  was  going  on,  so  I  stepped  in.  The 
church  was  shrouded  in  black.  Hundreds  of  candles 
were  lighted  in  different  parts  of  the  edifice,  which  was 
filled  to  overflowing  with  people.  The  music  was  mag- 
nificent. Nothing  could  surpass  it.  In  vain,  I  tried  to 
find  out  who  was  the  occupant  of  the  coffin  covered 
with  a  rich  pall  of  black  velvet,  embroidered  with  gold. 
No  one  among  the  spectators  seemed  to  know,  and,  of 
course,  I  did  not  like  to  ask  any  one  whom  I  supposed 
to  be  the  friends  of  the  deceased.  At  last,  the  ceremo- 
nies were  ended ;  the  funeral  cortege  passed  out,  and 
as  I  saw  the  last  mourning  coach  move  on,  I  ventured 
to  make  one  more  inquiry,  and  this  time  of  a  venerable 
looking  old  lady.  "  I  don't  know,  madame,"  was  the 
reply,  %"  but  it  is  evidently  somebody  very  genteel!" 
Oh !  ye  French  people,  "  genteel"  seems  as  talismanic  a 
word  to  you,  as  it  does  to  your  neighbors  across  the 
Atlantic  ocean ! 

Among  the  various  items  of  business  transacted  the 
last  few  days,  we  have  engaged  our  passage  in  the 
steamship  Canada,  which  leaves  Liverpool  for  Boston, 
Nov.  llth.  How  near  that  seems  at  hand !  I  sigh 
when  I  think  this  pleasant  journey  is  drawing  to  a  close, 
but  I  smile  at  the  thought  that  its  close  will  bring  me 
once  more  to  those  I  love  best  on  earth. 

31s£.  Our  last  walk  in  Paris  has  been  taken,  our 
last  shopping  done,  and  to-morrow  we  are  off  for  Eng- 
land. Since  I  have  been  here,  I  have  spent  several 
hours  each  day  out,  wandering  at  my  "  own  sweet  will," 


364  LETTERS. 

wherever  my  inclinations  prompted,  and  when  in  the 
hotel,  busy  writing,  bringing  this  lengthened  Budget  to 
a  close,  so  that  when  I  go  on  board  the  steamer  at  Liv- 
erpool, I  can  feel  at  ease,  with  the  consciousness  that 
the  work  I  placed  before  me,  when  I  left  home,  was 
done.  How  well  that  work  has  been  done,  I  must  leave 
for  you  and  for  others  to  decide.  The  hours  of  labor  it 
has  cost  me  are  now  forgotten ;  there  remains  only  the 
knowledge  that  those  hours  were  spent  for  your  pleasure, 
and  that  knowledge  brings  its  own  reward. 


LETTER    XCII. 

Retrospect. — Leaving  Paris. — Crossing  the  Channel. — Dover.— Arrival  in 
London. — Occupations. — Novelty. — Review. 

LONDON,  Nov.  7th. 

To   MY   LOVED   ONES  AT    HOME  : 

My  first  letter  on  board  the  Indus,  off  Gibraltar,  com- 
menced with  this  address  ;  my  last  one  must  go  to  the 
same  assembled  household.  Through  all  these  months 
of  travel,  through  all  these  varied  scenes,  my  heart  has 
ever  turned  "  to  my  loved  ones  at  home."  "Whatever 
of  pleasure  I  have  received  in  visiting  strange  lands,  has 
been  imparted  to  them,  and  if  they  have  felt  half  the 
interest  in  reading  these  letters,  that  I  have  had  in 
writing  them,  I  am  more  than  paid  for  the  exertion 
they  have  cost  me,  for  wearied  out,  as  I  often  was  in 
body  and  mind,  it  sometimes  cost  me  quite  an  effort  to 
sit  down  and  write  for  hours,  coolly  reviewing  all  that 
I  had  seen,  and  selecting  such  things  to  write  about  as 
I  knew  you  would  like.  And  now  this  must  be  my  last 


LETTERS.  365 

letter,  for  the  next  steamer  after  to-morrow's  will  take 
us  instead  of  our  letters.  I  linger  over  this  letter  with  a 
loving  interest,  because  it  is  the  last  I  shall  write  from 
a  foreign  land.  In  the  thirteen  months  that  I  have  been 
absent  from  you,  I  dare  not  attempt  to  count  the  hun- 
dreds of  written  pages  I  have  sent  you.  One  little  fact 
I  must  mention,  because  it  would  not  otherwise  be 
known  to  you.  The  paper  on  which  these  letters  have 
been  written,  was  bought  in  the  United  States,  in  Lon- 
don, at  Assouan,  (near  the  first  cataract  of  the  Nile,) 
in  Constantinople,  Athens,  Vienna,  Berlin,  Brussels  and 
Paris,  so  that  you  have  had  an  opportunity  thus  of  see- 
ing paper  from  various  quarters  of  the  globe.  But  if  I 
go  on  in  this  rambling  way,  I  shall  never  reach  the  end 
of  my  last  epistle,  so  I  hasten  on,  or  rather  I  must  go 
backward  for  a  few  days. 

On  the  morning  of  the  first  of  November,  we  were 
called  at  the  unseasonable  hour  of  five.  I  should  have 
been  in  a  mood  of  bitter  complaint,  had  I  not  known 
this  was  about  the  last  time  my  slumbers  would  thus  be 
invaded,  so  I  bore  it  with  unexampled  equanimity.  "We 
bade  adieu  (I  fear  a  final  one)  to  Paris,  and  at  seven 
were  on  our  way  to  Calais,  where  we  arrived  without 
any  incident  worth  relating,  about  half  past  two,  having 
accomplished  two  hundred  and  thirty  miles  in  that  time. 

We  were  obliged  to  go  off  to  the  steamer  in  small 
boats,  an  operation  I  by  no  means  relished.  Our  de- 
parture from  the  French  coast  was  signalized  by  the 
usual  amount  of  noise  and  confusion  incidental  to  a 
steamer  getting  under  way.  The  passage  across  the 
channel  was  made  in  two  hours,  the  water  perfectly 
smooth,  but  it  was  so  foggy  we  could  not  see  the  "  white 
cliffs  of  Albion,"  till  we  were  close  upon  them.  Laud- 


366  LETT  BBS. 

ing  at  Dover,  we  went  through  the  usual  formalities  of 
the  custom  house,  and  then  went  to  a  hotel,  where  we 
had  a  late  dinner  and  a  comfortable  night's  lodging,  and 
the  next  morning  were  whirled  up  to  London,  and  soon 
found  ourselves  in  excellent  quarters,  at  Wood's  Hotel, 
where,  in  addition  to  the  substantial  of  this  life,  we 
were  speedily  regaled  with  letters  from  home,  the  last, 
probably,  we  shall  receive. 

And  now  you  are  ready  to  ask,  "  What  have  you  been 
doing  with  yourself  these  five  or  six  days  you  have  been 
in  London  ?"  To  which  question  I  make  an  answer 
in  three  words,  "  Visiting,  shopping  and  writing." 
As  in  our  two  former  visits  to  London,  we  pretty  well 
"  did  up"  the  celebrities  of  the  place,  there  is  nothing 
we  particularly  care  to  do  in  the  way  of  sight-seeing,  so 
that  part  of  a  traveller's  duty  is  not  very  onerous  to  us 
just  now.  We  have  had  great  pleasure  in  renewing  our 
acquaintance  with  some  delightful  people  that  came 
over  with  us  from  New  York,  in  the  Arctic,  and  with 
them  we  have  spent  many  pleasant  hours,  lunching  and 
dining  with  them  whenever  we  liked,  they  having  given 
us  cordial  invitations  to  spend  as  much  time  with  them 
as  possible.  We  have  been  once  or  twice,  too,  at  Mr. 
A.'s  house,  where  we  have  spent  delightful  hours  talking 
over  our  mutual  friends  in  Rhode  Island.  Shopping, 
being  essentially  a  feminine  pursuit,  has,  of  course,  en- 
grossed some  of  my  time,  as  there  are  always  "  last 
things"  to  attend  to  in  that  line.  And  as  for  writing, 
there  is  always  sufficient  of  that  commodity  on  hand  to 
occupy  any  hours  that  might  otherwise  be  unemployed. 
Thus,  I  have  accounted  for  my  time  in  London. 

I  cannot  tell  you  how  strangely  it  seemed,  at  first,  to 
hear  nothing  but  English  spoken  around  us.  Hearing, 


LET  TEES.  367 

as  we  have  done,  ever  since  "we  left  London,  thirteen 
months  ago,  a  medley  of  languages,  French,  Italian, 
Arabic,  Syriac,  Turkish,  Greek,  German,  Dutch,  and  a 
variety  of  other  idioms,  we  became  almost  unused  to 
the  sound  of  our  mother  tongue,  except  when  spoken 
by  ourselves,  and  for  the  first  two  or  three  mornings 
after  our  arrival  here,  I  invariably  commenced  giving 
orders  for  the  day  to  the  waiter  in  French,  and  was  not 
aware  I  was  doing  any  thing  out  of  the  ordinary  course, 
till  I  met  his  astonished  gaze.  You  may  think  this  af- 
fectation, but  I  believe  every  one  who  has  been,  for  any 
length  of  time,  in  a  foreign  land,  would  bear  me  out  in 
the  assertion. 

As  I  sit  this  evening  before  my  bright  fire,  and  listen 
to  the  whirl  and  noise  of  the  streets,  that  whirl  and  noise 
which  in  London  never  seem  to  cease,  it  is  difficult  for 
me  to  realize  how  much  I  have  seen,  what  lands  I  have 
visited,  since  I  was  in  this  great  city  before.  The  stormy 
passage  of  the  Bay  of  Biscay ;  the  beginning  of  our  ori- 
ental life ;  Cairo,  with  its  picturesque  streets  so  full  of 
novel  sights  and  sounds ;  our  sojourn  on  the  sacred 
Nile ;  the  tombs,  temples  and  time-honored  pyramids ; 
the  soft,  lustrous  African  nights,  the  journey  across  the 
Desert,  so  fraught  with  interest ;  tent  life ;  the  sacred 
mountains ;  the  rock-city  Petra ;  the  Holy  Land,  with 
all  its  thrilling,  soul-moving  associations ;  Constantino- 
ple the  magnificent ;  classic  Greece  and  its  lovely  isles ; 
Austria,  Prussia,  Belgium,  Holland,  with  their  stores 
of  riches,  both  in  nature  and  art — all  seem  now  to  me 
as  a  dream,  a  lovely  dream,  and  I  say  more  than  once, 
have  I  seen  them  all  ?  Have  I  lived  this  chequered  life  ? 
Have  I  heard  these  varied  tongues  ?  Have  I  walked 
the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  climbed  the  Mount  of  Olives, 


368  LETTERS. 

wept  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane,  gazed  upon  the  Sea 
of  Galilee,  in  short,  seen  the  land  consecrated  by  the 
presence  of  Him,  the  God-man  ?  It  is  so.  Strange  as 
it  all  seems,  it  is  all  true,  it  is  not  a  vision. 

My  loved  ones,  adieu  till  I  meet  you  all  once  more  in 
my  own  native  land. 


NOTE. 

Our  voyage  in  the  Canada  was  in  due  time  over,  and  on  the  morning 
of  the  fifteenth  day  after  leaving  Liverpool,  we  landed  in  Boston,  grateful 
to  Him  who  had  preserved  us  through  all  our  wanderings,  and  for  leaving 
unbroken  the  circle  of  our  loved  friends  who  were  ready  to  welcome  us 
home  once  more. 

We  were  absent  from  the  United  States  fourteen  months,  during  which 
time  we  travelled  nineteen  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty-eight  miles,  viz : 
thirteen  thousand  one  hundred  and  eighty-three  in  steamers,  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  in  our  boat  on  the  Nile,  six  hundred  miles  on  camel,  five 
hundred  on  horseback,  in  diligence  and  other  carriages,  three  hundred  and 
forty-five,  and  two  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty  miles  by  railroad. 
Of  course,  I  could  form  no  conception  of  the  number  of  miles  I  rode  on 
donkeys  in  Egypt,  and  in  hackney  coaches  in  Europe. 

During  this  period,  we  slept  sixty-two  nights  in  steamers,  seventy-two 
in  our  boat  on  the  Nile,  fifty-nine  in  a  tent,  two  in  a  diligence,  and  two  in 
railroad  cars,  avoiding,  as  much  as  possible,  night  travel  on  land,  which  is 
very  exhausting  to  the  strength  of  travellers. 

The  banking  and  posting  arrangements  were  all  settled  by  our  banker, 
George  Peabody,  Esq.,  and  through  the  constant  exertions  of  that  well- 
known  house,  not  a  solitary  letter  sent  from  us,  or  to  us,  from  all  quarters 
of  the  globe,  failed  to  reach  its  destination  in  due  time.  Such  are  the 
facilities  of  mail  transportation,  I  am  convinced,  if  ordinary  care  is  taken, 
there  is  no  need  of  travellers  ever  having  any  trouble  about  their  letters. 
In  whatever  part  of  the  world  we  mailed  a  letter,  it  was  always  under 
cover  to  Mr.  Peabody,  in  London,  and  all  letters  to  us  were  sent  to  the 
same  address,  the  banker  having  his  directions,  from  time  to  time,  where 
to  forward  our  letters.  By  taking  this  little  additional  trouble  and  ex- 
pense, we  were  saved  all  care  and  vexation  about  our  letters,  for  any  one 
who  has  travelled  in  foreign  lands,  will  appreciate  the  blessing  of  regular 
letters  from  home. 


206S8 


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